Ivory Coast triumphed 2-0 over Guinea-Bissau in the opening match of the 2023 African Cup of Nations, a victory that brought immense joy to the thousands of supporters in Yamoussoukro. They had gathered in the capital’s CAN village to cheer on the national team.
Yamoussoukro celebrates victory in a fervent atmosphere
More than 15,000 fans flocked to the CAN village in Yamoussoukro’s Place Jean-Paul II to support the Elephants of Ivory Coast. Dressed in the team’s white or orange shirts, men, women and children cheered loudly for Franck Kessié and his team-mates.
Their victory aroused great enthusiasm in the capital. After the match, the locals sang and danced in the streets to celebrate, while motorbike processions livened up the roads.
Enthusiastic reactions from fans
Reactions from the fans were overwhelmingly positive. They were delighted not only with the performance of the national team, but also with the excellent organisation of the AFCON 2023.
“It’s a good first for Ivory Coast. For the host country, we had to command respect. The joy is immense. Ivory Coast will go all the way to the final and the Cup will stay here,” said Sonia, a fan of the Elephants of Ivory Coast.
“We’ve won, there’s nothing left. Nigeria will come, we’ll beat them too. We’re happy. We’ve organised the best African Cup of Nations in Africa. We can even organise the World Cup,” said Zao Roger Frédéric. Other fans are less happy because they think the Elephants could do better.
“Victory yes, but the team wasn’t convincing. They underestimated Guinea-Bissau, who played some very good football and could have scored in the game. The Elephants could have scored more goals. Let’s hope they do better in the next games,” says Alexis. Côte d’Ivoire are now provisionally top of Group A with 3 points, pending the other match in the group.
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