Ibrahim Toure, the younger brother of Ivory Coast players Yaya and Kolo Toure, has died in Britain, where he was being treated for cancer.
The Ivory Coast Football Federation reported the news on their website yesterday. The IFF said that Ibrahim died in Manchester, but it did not give a cause of death, the New York Daily News reports.
In its statement the IFF said “A tough day for the Toure brothers. Just house after the Columbia Match…Kolo and Yaya have learned of the death of their younger broth,” the IFF said. “The entire Ivorian delegation in Brazil supports them in this painful circumstance.”
Ibrahim last played for Al Safa’ SC of the Lebanese Premier League and was striker for them, according to the Daily Mail.
Yaya is the captain of the Ivory Coast team and plays midfield, while Kolo plays defense.
The Ivory Coast is currently in second in their group behind Colombia. There final group stage game is on June 24 versus Greece, according to ESPN. If they win that game they would qualify for the second round for the first time.
It is unknown if the Toure brothers will leave Brazil to be with their family.
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