From our special correspondent in Abidjan – From the final whistle, Ivory Coast supporters burst into joy and emotion at the Ébimpé stadium. But when celebrating the title, many have a thought for Morocco, which allowed their repechage when they were on the verge of elimination, and host country of the next CAN. Report amidst the jubilation.
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The tension, the humiliation, the joy and finally the happiness! Ivorian supporters will have passed through all the states during the CAN 2024 organized in the land of the Elephants. But finally, after seven matches and a stunning final against Nigeria, their players were crowned African champions.
Already incandescent, the stands of the Alassane Ouattara stadium exploded with happiness when the referee formalized the end of the match and the victory of Côte d’Ivoire:
“I am very proud of my country today. It’s extraordinary! Thanks to everyone coming together, we won our Cup,” exclaims Akuvi Duti.
“Champions! Three stars!” shouts Ismael Koné, whose friend already has the third star embroidered on his cap. “We said: ‘The CAN is at home. The Cup comes and stays here.'”
“I’m very moved! Our country has climbed to the top of Africa. We don’t feel that every day,” says a fifty-year-old, with tears in his eyes. “Thanks to the Elephants and thanks to God!”
“Thank you Morocco!”
The supernatural comes up a lot in the mouths of supporters when discussing the journey of their selection, given for dead after the humiliation against Equatorial Guinea, then resurrected against Senegal before the exploit against Mali.
“We’re worthless but we’re moving forward! We’re worthless but we took the Cup! Long live Ivory Coast, it was the best CAN”, celebrates Souleymane Koné. “Thanks to God and Morocco!”
“Choukrane bezef! Choukrane les khoyas!”, even blurts out an Ivorian in “almost” perfect Arabic, which means: “Thank you very much! Thank you brothers!”
When questioned, all the supporters have a word for Morocco, often described as a brother country. And for good reason: after the fiasco against Equatorial Guinea, it was the victory of the Atlas Lions which indirectly offered the Elephants, drafted among the best third-placed teams, the opportunity to reach the round of 16, with the rest we know. Since then, there have been numerous demonstrations of friendship.
In the stadium, the appearance of the Moroccan flag just before the trophy presentation, in honor of the host country of CAN 2025, even provoked a standing ovation, equal to that reserved for the new African champions. And the captain of the Elephants, Max-Alain Gradel, even began a lap of honor with the Moroccan flag on his shoulders.
The night will be short in Abidjan
“Everyone laughed. From humiliation to glory! But it’s all thanks to Morocco. Moroccans, we love you!” shouts an Ivorian, Atlas Lions jersey on his shoulders, in the middle of the vuvuzuelas.
Near Abidjan and throughout Côte d’Ivoire, the night promises to be restless: “Today, we are not sleeping! We are not going to sleep today! No, there will be no of sleep. We’re going to celebrate for a week”, promises an Elephants fan, drunk with joy.
“We’re not going to stop celebrating… Until the next CAN!”, corrects his friend.
