Yaya Toure says no one cared about Ivory Coast's controversial exit because they're African

Ivory Coast were eliminated from the 2014 World Cup in absolutely heartbreaking fashion. Greece won a disputed penalty late and Georgios Samaras converted, putting the Greeks into the final 16 and knocking Les Elephants out. 

Replays indicated Ivory Coast midfielder Giovanni Sio did foul Samaras in the penalty area, but it was a tough call for the referee to make without the benefit of instant replay.

Ivory Coast captain Yaya Toure believes a bigger deal wasn't made regarding the incident because they were African, and not a European power. 

"I desperately wanted the referee to spot the simulation of Samaras," told France Football, via The Daily Mail. 

"Once again, the refereeing was not on our side. We had at least two penalties turned down during our game against Japan.

And this time, one is invented against Greece. Of course, it does not upset anyone because it only concerns an African team.

Who really cares about the injustices of an African team? This mistake deprives us of something huge. It is a scandal that unfortunately does not seem to bother many people."

It's been a rough tournament for African football as a whole, with bonus disputes and charges of match fixing taking away from positive tournament runs from Nigeria and Algeria.