LONDON, May 15, 2011 (AFP) - Yaya Toure admits the elation of firing Manchester City to FA Cup final glory against Stoke was tempered by the absence of his banned brother Kolo.
Yaya was the toast of Wembley on Saturday after his 74th minute strike secured City's first major silverware since the 1976 League Cup.
But the Ivory Coast midfielder wasn't able to enjoy his role in the 1-0 victory quite as much as he would have liked because his City team-mate Kolo Toure wasn't on the pitch to share it with him.
Kolo has been suspended by City since March after testing positive for a specified substance and his future at the club remains uncertain.
The former Arsenal defender was in the stands at Wembley to see his brother add a Cup final winner to the decisive goal he scored against Manchester United in the semi-final, but Yaya would have preferred it if they had been able to celebrate together in front of City's ecstatic fans.
"We have created a little bit of history for the club by winning a trophy for the first time in 35 years and we are so happy. We need to enjoy it," Yaya said.
"But I am a little bit sad for my brother because I could see it in his eyes he wanted to be part of the team.
"I dedicate my goal to him because this season he has had a lot of problems. He will be joining us at the hotel and I am very pleased about that."
After a successful spell at Barcelona, which included winning the Spanish league and the Champions League, Yaya could have been forgiven for seeing the FA Cup as a relatively minor medal to add to his collection.
But helping City to end their long trophy drought in the same week they qualified for the Champions League was a dream come true.
"I just love Wembley. To score the all-important goal against a strong team like Stoke is very special," Yaya said.
"We deserved to win this game because we created a lot of chances and played so well. This win is fantastic for us.
"Our target was to go to the Champions League and win something and my dream has come true. I am so happy for the club and the fans as they have waited a long time for a trophy."
City manager Roberto Mancini has spent much of the season under pressure as his side battled to secure that Champions League place, but Toure believes the Italian has now demonstrated he is the right man to lead the club to the next level.
"He has been fantastic for me and is doing a great job," Toure said. "We have a lot of players from different countries but we have continued to work and improve and hopefully that will continue."
City defender Vincent Kompany admits the next step will be to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title now held by their bitter rivals Manchester United.
And Kompany, an inspirational presence at the heart of City's defence on Saturday, revealed his team-mates now have a serious appetite for success after savouring the winning feeling at Wembley.
"After the game you could already hear some of the guys in there (the dressing room) whispering that they want more of this," he said.
"We are happy because the club and fans deserve it. It was a terrific celebration and that is a feeling we want again.
"We have laid down the foundations after qualifying for the Champions League and winning this. We are going to build a house on it.
"At the moment we are fourth and to win the league you have to be first.
"We've always taken steps forward in the three years I've been here so lets achieve something better than this year and then we should be near our target which is to ultimately someday win the league.
"This club has ambition. You move forward from this. You never look back and say we have done it now. No, we want to do it again.
"Why stop now? I would like to think this is just the beginning."
