After a period of uncertainty, Côte d’Ivoire have finally qualified for the last 16 of the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the competition they are hosting. This news comes as a relief to Emerse Fae, the interim coach of the Ivorian national team.
Former Ivory Coast international Emerse Fae has been appointed to take over from former Elephants coach Jean-Louis Gasset. Under Emerse Fae, Côte d’Ivoire will play their Round of 16 match against Senegal in Yamoussoukro on Monday. Côte d’Ivoire’s qualification was secured thanks to Morocco’s 1-0 win over Zambia on Wednesday evening. After a disappointing performance against Equatorial Guinea, this qualification represents a real relief for Emerse Fae and the Ivorian national team.
“We were really torn between disappointment at our own performance and fear of not qualifying for our CAN. So it’s been a trying couple of days. Today we can say that the day ended well, which is very good news. But we have to remember that we qualified because of the results of the other teams, not because of our own merits on the pitch. So it’s important to remain humble and temper our joy. We have to use this qualification as a relief,” said Emerse Fae, speaking on Canal+ CAN.
“I think we’ll feel less pressure now, because the wait was really weighing on us. But now we feel liberated. However, we must quickly concentrate our efforts on the match against Senegal. They are a strong team, and we owe it to our people to get back at them,” added Emerse Fae.
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