Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia has said that he is finding joy of playing again after making a complete recovery from a serious ankle problem. The Ivory Coast international missed the vast part of the previous season with the injury and he ended the campaign with just nine league appearances, where he contributed a solitary goal.
However, he has made a fluent start for the new season with three goals already scored from just six matches and speaking to CAF’s official website, he revealed his pleasure of playing regularly once more, he said: “I gradually regained form after a very difficult period last season. A serious injury forced me to rest for several months. Today, I find the joy of playing again. As proof, I've scored three goals since the beginning of the Championship. In any case, I want to make up for lost time, both for my club and national team.”
Meanwhile,“ the 28-year-old admitted that the Ivory Coast have gone through a bad phase after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup “ but he has urged the fans to offer the support during the transitional phase, he added: ““ I would ask the Ivorians “to forget the painful moments and to support their national team in its reconquest, its reconstruction. The Elephants need the support of the people in this difficult period of transition.”
During the international break, Kodjia was called up by the Elephants for their 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda and the marksman managed to make his mark, scoring the opening goal of the 2-1 triumph. The victory sees them placed second in Group B with three points but there is still work to do with Central African Republic only behind them on the number of goals scored. The top two teams from each group qualify for next year’s tournament in Cameroon.