Where will this Ivory Coast end? After coming close to elimination during the group stage, the Elephants are experiencing miracle after miracle and are now in the semi-final of the African Cup of Nations (CAN).
Before facing DR Congo, interim coach Emerse Faé, however, warns. We must not rely on God's grace to go further: "It would be a mistake to think like that. We are aware that we have come a long way. We cannot rest on that by saying that it will always pass. We must do everything so that miracles are on our side. The miracle did not fall from the sky", warns the new coach of the Elephants.
Return to this way of the cross which allows us to believe in the final coronation of Côte d'Ivoire and its team of "returners", according to the expression of midfielder Franck Kessié.
• The death of the Elephants
Before the time of miracles, there was the time of doubts. Expected by everyone for this CAN at home, the Elephants begin the competition under pressure. The Ivorians have pulled out all the stops for the second African Cup hosted in the country of "Akwaba" and they expect their players to live up to the event.
But nothing goes as planned. The opening match was certainly won against modest Guinea-Bissau (2-0) but the Elephants seemed to be struggling on the pitch. The doubts are confirmed with the defeat against Nigeria (0-1). But it is especially against Equatorial Guinea, during the last group match, that Ivory Coast will sink body and soul.
Read alsoHumiliated by Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast on waivers for the 8th
That day, everything seemed to be going against Jean-Louis Gasset's team. Yet dominating the game, the Elephants conceded a goal from Nsué on the first Equatoguinean opportunity. Twice, the referee denied them equalizing goals from Ibrahim Sangaré (45th+1) and Jean-Philippe Krasso (67th). Then Equatorial Guinea drives three nails into the coffin to send the Elephants to the cemetery. Final score: 4 to 0.
The Ivorians will then have to follow the last matches of each group with anxiety, hoping to find two third places lower ranked than them, and thus be drafted. And the situation is critical: they only have 3 points, and a very poor goal difference (-3).
At the end of the match, the Ivorian supporters interviewed did not believe it and above all, they did not want this draft. “What for, seeing this team?”, one of them said to us in the aisles of the Ebimpé stadium. In the locker rooms, the players remain prostrate for several hours and flee the press when they leave. Coach Jean-Louis Gasset presents his resignation the same evening.
•
The first miracle: the repechage thanks to Morocco
A first glimmer of hope is emerging with group B. In the game of the best thirds, Ghana sinks against Mozambique by conceding two goals in stoppage time: they are third with only 2 points. “God is Ivorian,” whisper several local colleagues in the press room.
We now have to wait until another third-placed team is behind. The Ivorians can only hope to benefit from the misfortune of others. But in group C, Cameroon put up a crazy match to save itself. In Group E, Mali, Namibia and South Africa settle for 0-0 which qualifies everyone.
Read alsoCAN 2024: Morocco qualifies Ivory Coast by beating Zambia
Everything seems lost. But, in the last match of the group stage, Morocco has the good taste to beat Zambia (1-0), which remains third in its group with two points. Moroccan flags then flourish in Abidjan...
During these two days when the Elephants were on waivers, "it was very, very hard for us", remembers Serge Aurier: "We were at the hotel, it was borderline if we were skimming the walls to go eat."
•
The miracle of Yamoussoukro: the feat against Senegal, reigning champion
The draft doesn't fix everything. Ivory Coast finds itself facing a very big piece in the round of 16: Senegal, reigning champion, the only team to have signed three victories during the group stage.
Internally, it’s a big upheaval. Emerse Faé is announced as interim coach in place of Jean-Louis Gasset but the federation is trying at the same time to poach Hervé Renard, under contract with the French women's team. For confidence, we will come back.
"We have come a long way. As soon as qualification was validated, we refocused. We tried to restore confidence to the group after difficult days. We had to make it clear that we needed more solidarity and solidity on the ground. We had to recreate the collective dynamic,” explains Emerse Faé.
Read also: Ivory Coast is reborn against Senegal and reaches the quarterfinals at the end of the suspense
“Dead goat does not fear the knife,” says the Ivorian proverb. Understand: "Mentally, when you are resurrected as we were, there is no longer anything that scares you, we go for it, we go there", explains Serge Aurier, one of the bosses of the group, the only one already champion from Africa in 2015, with Max-Alain Gradel.
However, the match against Senegal started very badly, Côte d'Ivoire was beaten by the Lions of Téranga who seemed to be playing three divisions above. Habib Diallo opened the score from the start and Elephants fans feared a beating.
Also read “We wanted to find the Elephants”: Emerse Faé satisfied with the Ivory Coast match
But the opposite happens. Ivory Coast, pushed by the 20,000 spectators in Yamoussoukro, raised its head and fought the Senegalese step by step. Everything succeeded for them, including the refereeing: a penalty on Isamaila Sarr was forgotten while another was offered to them, the VAR waking up to correct an error by the referee who believed it was a simulation by Pépé. Franck Kessié equalizes on the wire. Then, Ivory Coast won in the penalty shootout.
•
The miracle of Bouaké: “discouragement, is not Ivorian”
Against Mali, the Ivorians once again showed that something irrational accompanied this team. Ivory Coast avoided a penalty thanks to a providential offside signaled by the VAR, Yahia Fofana saved another…
The Elephants played more than 75 minutes at 10 after the expulsion of Odilon Kossounou without it being felt. Then despite Néné Dorgeles opening the score, Côte d'Ivoire pushed to the end and snatched their extension at the gong. Before eliminating Mali with another gong, just before the penalty shootout.
Read alsoCAN 2024: Ivory Coast overthrows Mali and snatches its semi-final
“When Mali missed the penalty, we all had that strength,” describes Oumar Diakité, scorer of the winning goal in added time during extra time. "They scored the first goal, it was complicated for the lead, but with my entry, those of Simon Adingra (author of the equalizer in the 90th) and Sébastien Haller, we said to ourselves: 'It's possible to do something'.
Even the opposing coach gave in. “They have this energy, and because you also need it in football, this little bit of luck. They deserve this semi-final,” admits Eric Chelle. “But the truth is that Ivory Coast has come a long way.”
“We had difficult times, especially after the Equatorial Guinea match where we received insults. We felt alone, but we managed to switch,” concludes Seko Fofana. “The champions manage to move on.”
The France 24 summary of the week
invites you to look back at the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 application