IBRAHIM TOURE, the younger brother of Ivory Coast duo Yaya and Kolo. has died in Manchester at the age of 28.
It’s believed that he was battling cancer and had been receiving treatment for the illness at the The Christie, the city’s well-known specialist centre.
The news was confirmed by the Ivorian FA in an official statement.
Another professional footballer, Ibrahim had been plying his trade with Lebanese Premier League side Al-Safa SC while he also had spells in France, Ukraine and Syria.
According to reports, Yaya and Kolo Toure were informed of the news shortly after the Ivory Coast’s 2-1 defeat to Colombia on Thursday.
It’s still unclear as to whether the pair will remain with the squad for the rest of the tournament.
There has been an outpouring of support for the Toure brothers across social media since the news was announced with Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany one of the first public figures to offer his condolences.
Yaya’s employers, Manchester City, also offered some words of comfort, as did Kolo’s current club Liverpool.
Ivory Coast’s final World Cup Group C game is next Tuesday against Greece.
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