One surprise follows the next – before the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup, more favorites have stumbled than ever before. But it’s not just the sporting events that are astonishing in Ivory Coast.
When the Morocco team bus pulled up to Abidjan airport late in the afternoon on Wednesday (January 31, 2024), a good two dozen young men sneaked out of the vehicle in a visibly bad mood. On the last matchday of the round of 16, Africa’s currently best-placed team in the FIFA world rankings had also been hit the previous evening. In the quarter-finals, which start on Friday (February 2nd, 2024), there are only three teams left that were expected there: Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Mali. The other five – Angola, DR Congo, Cape Verde, Guinea and South Africa – are total outsiders.
0:2 against South Africa – the elimination for the fourth-placed World Cup team, Morocco, came as a complete surprise. In the preliminary round, the team from the North African kingdom impressed with experienced and effective football. The exit caught Morocco off on the wrong foot; none of the players were able to comment after the defeat.
Favorite teams failed in spades
They should have been warned, the “Lions of the Atlas,” as the team is called. One favorite team after another had to give up. Ghana, Tunisia and Algeria in the preliminary round, Egypt, Cameroon and defending champion Senegal in the round of 16. One thing is certain: the 34th Africa Cup will go down in history as one of the biggest sporting surprises.
But experts had already warned before the tournament: the climate and field conditions would play more into the hands of outsiders. In fact, the heat plays a big role – temperatures rarely fall below 30 degrees even late in the evening. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so exhausted after a football game in my life,” complained Senegal’s full-back Ismail Jakobs after the defending champions’ first group game against Gambia (3-0).
“Direct play is not possible”
The dry, dull grass in the stadiums does the rest. “Mistakes in reception happen, fast direct play is not possible on the bumpy surface,” reported the ex-Cologne player Jakobs. Defending is easier in such conditions – an advantage for the underdogs. The appearance of teams like Cape Verde, Mauritania, Angola and Equatorial Guinea was still astonishing. Because these “exotics” in particular have made an enormous leap in performance recently.
Surprises are the icing on the cake when it comes to football – so it’s hardly surprising that the tournament is greeted with total enthusiasm in football-mad Ivory Coast. The stadiums are well filled, many games – not just those of the hosts – took place in front of packed stands. Which also had an influence on sporting events. “The North African teams in particular are impressed by the euphoric atmosphere in the stands when they play away games south of the Sahara,” says Emeka Enyadike.
The analyst from South Africa is considered an absolute expert on the African football scene and had already speculated before the tournament: “For me, the winner will come from the regions south of the Sahara.”
Nigeria slipped into the role of favorite
Nigeria is now mentioned most often here. The “Super Eagles” have improved from game to game and their victory in the round of 16 against Cameroon (2-0) was confident. But be careful: Quarter-final opponent Angola, who we face on Friday (02/02/2024), has no stars, but plays compact and fast counterattack football. The Ivory Coast will also have to expect this when the hosts face Mali on Saturday.
Sold-out stadiums, enthusiastic fans, lavish parties in the public viewing zones. Unfortunately, the Africa Cup has repeatedly led to extremely dangerous moments under these conditions in the past. At the last Cup in Cameroon, there was turmoil in front of the stadium gates before the hosts’ round of 16 game, in which over a dozen people lost their lives.
Fan enthusiasm spills over
The intensity of the enthusiasm is also dangerous in Ivory Coast. When the hosts, who had previously performed so disappointingly, suddenly appeared like a substitute in the round of 16 and catapulted favorites Senegal out of the tournament after a penalty shootout, enthusiasm exploded in the streets. Cars and motorcycles could be seen racing into cheering crowds – numerous injured people had to be taken to hospitals that night.
Half a dozen journalists also landed there. After a preliminary round match in Yamoussokrou, a bus that was taking the media people back to Abidjan at night veered off the road due to excessive speed and crashed into a construction site. Things went relatively smoothly; various broken bones remained the most serious injuries. But one thing remains certain: the Africa Cup is fascinating. Almost always. But it is always not without danger.