In the face of the challenging match played by the Ivory Coast Elephants on Monday, January 22, 2024, against Equatorial Guinea, El Hadj Diouf sent a message of encouragement to the team.
His name has been widely circulating in the 2023 AFCON. El Hadji Diouf, true to his “bad boy” reputation, first provoked the Cameroonians before their match last Friday. The former Senegalese international, in his analysis of the match between Senegal and Cameroon, made strong comments that triggered a negative reaction from the Cameroonian press.
“Cameroon thinks it’s the continent, but it’s more like the continental hotel. Cameroon has regressed a lot, and I feel sorry for the Cameroonian fans. They rely on their past, and it’s sad […] Today, Cameroon’s real problem is not on the field; it’s a management problem,” he declared.
El Hadji Diouf’s strong words for Ivory Coast
For the Cameroonian media, especially Camfoot, there is no doubt that El Hadji Diouf insulted Samuel Eto’o and Rigobert Song. “The Senegalese never won an Africa Cup of Nations. While he was in great form in 2002, and Senegal was favored by all bookmakers to win the competition, he was beaten by the Indomitable Lions. Among them, Rigobert Song and Samuel Eto’o, who are insulted by El Hadji Diouf, the two who lead large parts of Cameroonian football,” notes the Cameroonian site.
The former striker and captain of the Teranga Lions, heavily involved behind the scenes in this 34th edition of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, expresses his wish to see the Elephants continue the tournament as the best third.
El Hadji Diouf shared his support in these terms: “The entire Senegalese nation is wholeheartedly with our Ivorian brothers. That’s how our sport goes; sometimes it doesn’t work out as we hope. I wish a lot of courage to the Ivorian people, and I sincerely hope you secure the 3rd place so that the adventure and celebration continue. Courage to the Elephants.”
Ivory Coast no longer controls its destiny for the continuation of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Elephants will have to rely on miraculous circumstances to reach the round of 16 with only 3 points in Group A.
Ivory Coast pulls out the calculator
In a difficult situation after their 1-0 defeat against Nigeria in the second match, Franck Kessié’s teammates needed to win their third match to secure a spot in the round of 16. However, instead of the expected victory, the Ivorians suffered a severe and unequivocal 4-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea.
This debacle is a real humiliation for Jean-Louis Gasset’s players, who were escorted by security at the end of the match to avoid any clashes with supporters aware that this defeat could mark the end of the adventure for the Elephants.
Occupying the third place in Group A with only three points, the Ivorians will have to wait for the conclusion of the first-round matches on Wednesday night to find out if they are among the four best third-placed teams and if they will thus advance to the round of 16. After the defeat, many supporters spontaneously left the fan zones and the AFCON villages. In some neighborhoods of Abidjan, incidents erupted, including acts of vandalism, including bus damage.
Fans also expressed their discontent, highlighting the sacrifices made by the population for the organization of this AFCON, considering the disappointing results of the Elephants as a lack of respect for these efforts.
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