Ivory coast & Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure appointed UN Goodwill Ambassador

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has been appointed a goodwill ambassador as he joins a UN campaign against poaching.

The Ivory coast international has joined the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) campaign as he looks to stop the slaughter of elephants, saying that only 800 remain in his country.

Toure said at a press conference in Nairobi: 'Poaching threatens the very existence of the African elephant and if we do not act now, we could be looking at a future in which this iconic species is wiped out.

'Ivory Coast's national team is named "The Elephants" after these magnificent creatures that are so full of power and grace, yet in my country alone there may be as few as 800 individuals left.'

UNEP executive director Achim Steiner welcomed Toure's participation in the campaign, saying that he was a 'particularly powerful African voice' who would inspire action in efforts to tackle environmental challenges.