Thanks to their exceptional performance at the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast are now seen as serious contenders for the world title in 2026. This optimistic outlook is widely publicised by the Ivorian Facebook page “Soutien aux Éléphants” (Support for the Elephants).
However, if they are to achieve this ambitious goal, the Ivorian footballers will need to have remarkable mental resilience.
“With the generation that won the 2023 African Cup of Nations, Côte d’Ivoire has the potential to triumph at the 2026 World Cup. The key is mental strength”, according to a post on the Facebook page.
This statement was well received by the Ivorian fans. They, in turn, pointed to what they believe is holding back the performances of African teams at such major events: a feeling of inferiority.
However, they remain optimistic, convinced that thanks to talents such as Simon Adingra, Sébastien Haller, Oumar Diakité and others, Côte d’Ivoire has real potential to win the 2026 World Cup. Here are some of their reactions:
“Didier Drogba said that winning the World Cup is within our grasp with hard work. Although that has been laughed at by some, the most important thing is commitment. We already have the necessary talent. What we need to master is organisation and motivation.
We are faced with an inferiority complex that unfairly places the West above us. Yet Africa has historically fielded teams with enough quality to triumph in this tournament.
The key is mentality, cohesion and team spirit. I’m convinced that one day, an African country will win this coveted star, and I hope with all my heart that it will be Côte d’Ivoire.
It’s entirely possible. At the last World Cup, the African teams had nothing to be ashamed of compared to the European and South American teams.
Nowadays, in the world of football, the so-called great footballing nations such as Germany, Brazil, France, Argentina, Portugal and Italy, among others, are no longer as intimidating. It’s all about mental strength, so it’s time to abandon our inferiority complex.
African teams are approaching the World Cup with low ambitions, some simply aiming to get through the group stage. This mentality needs to change. We have an incredible pool of talent. It is imperative that those in charge of our sports federations move away from their amateur management.
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