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Tiote's Not Cheicking Out
Written by Newcastle Utd
Several Newcastle players, including Cheick Tiote, are cutting short their holidays to represent their countries over the next few days
By Dan King - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Cheick Tiote is one of a handful of players who will have to fit their summer holidays around their respective national teams' efforts to qualify for next year's World Cup finals in Brazil.
The midfielder is currently squeezing in a break before the Ivory Coast take on Gambia in Bakau on Saturday, 8th June and Tanzania in Dar Es Salaam eight days later.
And while that is not ideal after such a long season at home and abroad for the Magpies, the 26-year-old knows it'll be worth it should the Elephants book their place in the greatest tournament on the planet.
Speaking to nufc.co.uk ahead of his international double-header, Tiote said: "I've been away for one week and soon I go away with the national team, because we've got the two qualifying games for the World Cup.
"We're top of our group at the moment so if we win the the two games we'll go to the next stage.
"After that we'd need to play one more game to get qualified so that's the target for us."
Tiote's Toon team-mate Papiss Cisse, meanwhile, is in the Senegal squad to face Angola on 8th June and Liberia on 15th June, while Fabricio Coloccini will join up with Argentina for matches against Colombia at home on Friday, 7th June and away to Ecuador on Tuesday, 11th June.
Meanwhile, Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy are part of the France party for a pair of friendlies against Uruguay and Brazil on Wednesday, 5th June and Sunday, 9th June respectively.
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