IVORY COAST: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Ivory Coast heads to this year's Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa amid high expectations from fans at home after coming second in the last tournament won by Zambia

Record ID: 182274

  • Title: IVORY COAST: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Ivory Coast heads to this year's Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa amid high expectations from fans at home after coming second in the last tournament won by Zambia
  • Date: 10th January 2013
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF SPORTS JOURNALIST BENSON AKA COMMENTING DURING GAME (SOUNDBITE) (French) BENSON AKA, SPORTS JOURNALIST IN ABIDJAN SAYING: "Ivory Coast is going to AFCON with every chance of winning, simply because Ivory Coast failed so many times. We waited for so long but always ended the tournament disappointed. Now that the players are older, more matured after all these failures, they are better equipped to win the trophy."
  • Embargoed: 25th January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Costa Rica
  • Country: Costa Rica
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5785CPXCDW0IC0VTICOA089M8
  • Story Text: Expectations are high in Ivory Coast's economic capital of Abidjan, as members of fan club of the national team , the Elephants rehearses their songs for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
    After coming second to Zambia in the last tournament held in Libreville, Gabon, fans in Africa's leading cocoa producer are bracing for victory this time round.

    "Let me tell you something today, for an African cup, it takes more than just good players, even for the World Cup. Sometimes it takes a small team to win the cup. So if you are organized, disciplined, you can win the cup," said fan club president, Emile Gnaoulou.
    The star-packed squad of European based players such as Didier Drogba, brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure, Didier Zokora and Emmanuel Eboue the Ivorian squad failed to contain hard fighting Zambia and lost the finals last year.
    Romac N'guessan, a football fan in Abidjan said this year's tournament offered the country's top but ageing players like Drogba the chance to redeem themselves.

    "We have been waiting for this so long, they need to come back with the trophy. Last year, we were crying here on the streets, we burnt the flags and team jerseys we had bought. But in 2013, we want the whole of Ivory Coast to show off their orange-white and green jerseys." he said.
    But Keri Koussi, an ardent football fan disagrees, saying that an ageing team has little chance to produce results.

    "I am disappointed by all these great Ivorian football players who are revered all over the world. We have been disappointed so many times, I personally don't believe in these young people for AFCON 2013, because with all the great performances they accomplished in the past, and today they are getting older. It kind of disappoints me, I am disheartened, I don't think they will deliver in the tournament," he said.
    Ivorians still remember too well the agonising moments in Gabon when Drogba blazed a regular-time penalty over the crossbar helping Zambia move close to victory.
    Benson Aka, a sports journalist based in capital Abidjan believes that despite the past losses the national side would be triumphant in South Africa.

    "Ivory Coast is going to AFCON with every chance of winning, simply because Ivory Coast failed so many times. We waited for so long but always ended the tournament disappointed. Now that the players are older, more matured after all these failures, they are better equipped to win the trophy," Aka said.
    Ivory Coast has only won the AFCON tournament once, beating Ghana in a penalty shoot out 21 years ago.
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