The Elephants, a traditional powerhouse in African football, claimed AFCON titles in 1992 and 2015 under the captaincy of Yaya Toure. However, their current AFCON campaign took a drastic turn after a promising start, opening with a 2-0 victory against Guinea-Bissau but suffering a 1-0 loss to Nigeria in their second Group A match.
The most significant setback came in a shocking defeat to Equatorial Guinea, marking the largest-ever defeat for a host nation at the tournament.
Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue, Pablo Ganet, and Jannick Buyla secured the victory, inflicting the heaviest home defeat on Cote d’Ivoire. Notably, they became the first AFCON host to lose two group games since the Ivorians themselves did so in 1984.
The frustration among fans escalated, leading to skirmishes in the stands, though swiftly contained, and attacks on buses before order was restored with the intervention of tear gas.
Post-match, the Cote d’Ivoire squad, featuring talents like Franck Kessie and Seko Fofana, faced a three-hour wait in their dressing room before returning to their hotel.
Initially, on the brink of elimination, there is still hope for Cote d’Ivoire as they finished third in their group, and the top four third-placed teams from the six groups advance to the last 16.
Despite the uncertainty, a draw between Cameroon and Gambia in Group C or a win for Morocco against Zambia in Group F could allow Cote d’Ivoire to progress to the next round.
The daily newspaper Fraternite Matin expressed optimism, stating, “It is not finished,” as the team awaits the outcome of the remaining group stage matches.
