Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has said he is nonplussed as to why Yaya Touré was so angry about the Borussia Dortmund player being voted the Africa player of the year last week. Touré hit out at the decision, saying it was “pathetic”, “indecent” and brought “shame to Africa”.
Aubameyang is back with Dortmund now as they prepare for the restart of the Bundesliga and, talking to Sport Bild, he said: “I really don’t know why he said that at all. I am not going to get angry about it and for me it is already an old story, gone. It simply does not interest me.”
The Gabon striker received 143 points to Touré’s 136 with Swansea’s André Ayew finishing third with 112. Touré appeared to congratulate his rivals on stage, saying he was “disappointed” but adding that Aubameyang had “been doing brilliantly well this year”.
However, the Manchester City midfielder later seemed to suggest the voting had been unfair given his country’s success at the Nations Cup. “I’m very disappointed. It’s sad to see Africa react this way, that they don’t think African achievements are important,” he told the French radio station RFI.
“I think this is what brings shame to Africa, because to act in that way is indecent. But what can we do about it? Us Africans, we don’t show that Africa is important in our eyes. We favour more what’s abroad than our own continent. That is pathetic.”
Aubameyang wants to focus on Dortmund and the Bundesliga, with his side second, eight points behind Bayern Munich. “We will certainly not give up without a fight and all is not lost yet. We know that it will be very difficult to stop Bayern winning the league but nothing is impossible,” he said.
For their part, Dortmund have said they intend to hold on to all their key players in the winter transfer window.
The chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said: “I can rule out transfer of any of our top performers now. That’s definitely not on our agenda.“
Speculation regarding the future of Aubameyang and the playmaker Ilkay Gündogan has been mounting in recent weeks with the Germany midfielder recently saying that he had not yet decided whether to extend his 2017 contract with the club, who are currently second in the standings.
