Africa report
Ivory Coast: Lys Sassandra, Didier Drogba's only support
Audio 02:47
Didier Drogba during the general assembly of the Ivorian Football Federation to elect its new president, in Yamoussoukro, April 23, 2022. © AFP / SIA KAMBOU
By: François Hume-Ferkatadji Follow
3 mins
On May 1, a rarely observed craze, with political overtones, accompanied a first division match in the Ivorian championship.
The meeting between ASEC Mimosas and Lys Sassandra, at the Robert-Champroux stadium in Abidjan-Marcory, took place in a heated atmosphere, inflamed by the visit of the Ivorian football legend Didier Drogba and unsuccessful candidate for the election of the Ivorian Football Federation.
By cheering him on, Lys Sassandra, the only L1 club that voted for him in this election, wanted to express his support.
An election which was very well attended in the country, highlighting the difficult conditions of professional footballers in Côte d'Ivoire.
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Two hours before the match, the stadium is full, the doors are closing.
Outside, hundreds are frustrated at not being able to enter.
Young people in tap dancing are doing the short ladder, climbing the surrounding wall, almost hurting themselves on the dangerous peaks that crown it.
The police push back the curious with truncheons and tear gas, fueling the resentment of the supporters disappointed by the defeat of Didier Drogba in the FIF election.
“
Without Didier Drogba, there will be no CAN.
We have decided to support the Lys, because it is the Lys that gave Didier Drogba his voice.
»
A standing ovation as Drogba enters the pitch
Because of this support for Didier Drogba, the small club in the Gbôklé region multiplied its Facebook subscribers by 100 in just 8 days and was showered with gifts, in cash or in kind.
“
I am once again a supporter of Lys, because the president of Lys has decided to renovate football in Côte d'Ivoire.
That's why we are here today.
Not everyone who leads FIF today has contributed something good.
They are braggarts, as they say, people who do what they want.
We want the development of football, that's why we support the revival of football by Didier Drogba.
»
When the former number 11 and Champions League winner arrives outside the stadium, a cheering crowd chases his vehicle.
After 20 minutes of waiting, the child of Gagnoa joined the stands with his fist raised and dressed in the Lys jersey.
The stadium exults.
He offers himself a lap of honor, as if to test whether his popularity has remained intact, and addresses the Lys players in the middle of the field: "
Listen to me carefully
: always thank the supporters, go and thank them if they Please.
Go ahead, take a lap of honor, that's for you.
Have fun
”.
A failure seen as an injustice
The president of the Lys club, Dia Mamadou, despite the defeat of his team that evening, does not hide his emotion: “
It's a party.
The fans are happy, the people are happy, that's the most important thing.
Football is made for that, it proves that we can develop Ivorian football.
It gives us the strength to continue to work, to build, to educate, to prepare our children to obtain the maximum
”.
The failure of Didier Drogba, who was not elected president of the Federation, was experienced as an injustice by many, who consider the institution plagued by corruption and incapable of ensuring good working conditions for Ivorian footballers. .
In an attempt to silence the critics, the new president of the FIF, Idriss Diallo, took a strong symbolic measure, three days after his election: the doubling of the minimum wage for professional players, which thus goes from 60,000 to 120,000 francs. CFA.
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Africa
Ivory Coast
Soccer