African Nations Cup Fanview: Ivory Coast Supporters Remain Cold
Towards Their Team Nations Cup fever is gripping very few people in Ivory Coast
even as the event rapidly approaches... Jan 5, 2010 5:20:19 PM Photo Gallery Zoom Umar Seydou by his shop in Ivory Coast
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Links Teams Umar Seydou (pictured) is an
Ivorian trader who deals in sport clothes – T-shirts, jerseys and
shorts. He has been in this business for eight years. He says ‘football
year’ usually boost his sales except this time around.
“I can’t
really understand.
Nations Cup is few days away and nobody is coming to buy the Elephants
jerseys,” Seydou said to
Goal.com. “Two of my
brothers who do the same business
in town say nothing is moving in their shops too.”
But why are
Ivorians not making
collections of Didier
Drogba, Kolo Toure and Salomon Kalou’s T-shirts this time
around
like they did before Egypt 2006 and Ghana 2008?
Goal.com spoke to some students
from Cocody University who believe many people in town are just
being careful to give their heart away and get disappointed in return.
“I
think Ghana 2008 taught
not only the Elephants a great lesson, but the population as well,”
said Philippe Konan, a year-three philosophy undergraduate. “People
are trying to adopt the attitude of ‘don’t scream until you see
it happen’ towards the national team.”
Besides the disappointment
at Ghana 2008,
where the Elephants, widely deemed as favourites, were walloped 4-1 by
Egypt; some Ivorians feel their present team has too many flaws that
outsiders don’t see or pretend not to see.
“Personally, I’m
scared
of investing time and emotion in such a team,” Antoine Kipre of the
biology department said. “Our defence is not reliable. Our goalkeeper
is nothing to write home about. Our midfield is now vague without
Romaric.
And, our attackers like we know them, are European pros who don’t
take the necessary risks – for fear of injury – to move the team
forward during tough encounters,” Kipre said.
Thinking the female
fans would
have a better feeling for their team,
Goal.com discovered
something
worse.
“No, no, no, don’t tell
me about the Elephants this time,” Rose Kouadio, a 28-year-old cosmetics
seller, refuted with a frown. “At Ghana 2008, they broke
my heart like my high school lover did years back. This time, I’ll
be watching soap operas all through January. If Drogba and company
manage
to win something, we’ll dance with them then.”
Sandrine, a
32-year old nurse stated to
Goal.com, “They play
well in their European clubs,
but don’t do the same here. I’ll be watching films during the
tournament. At least I’ll
keep my heart unbroken. No player has ever shared his millions with
me, why should I suffer my soul for them?” she said.
But things
will definitely
change if the Elephants manage to progress in the tournament, says a
secondary
school teacher in Bingerville – a suburb of Abidjan.
“The low-key
support the
Ivorian national team is receiving right now is understandable. Each
time they receive heavy support, they disappoint fans. So, people are
just being careful. But enthusiasm will mount once the team start
winning
matches after matches,” he said.
The ball is now in the court
of the Elephants. They need to work hard at Angola 2010 to restore the
lost ‘love and trust’ that existed between them and local fans;
and not to widen the chasm.
Kingsley Kobo, Goal.com