Eric Sékou Chelle, coach you Mali : “It’s very hard when you see a locker room that is affected…”

Nobody believed it but fate decided otherwise. It is Ivory Coast which will continue its race in this African Cup of Nations football which it organized. In the quarter-final against the Eagles of Mali last Saturday at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, the Elephants were stunning. Even with ten on the field, pachyderms triumph over their adversaries (2-1). Eric Sékou Chelle, coach of the Eagles of Mali has difficulty understanding what happened.

Only football holds these secrets. In such an important match for Ivorians and Malians, Bad luck strikes when Koussounou receives a new yellow card, synonymous with red in the 43rd. Already in difficulty even at eleven against eleven, the Elephants were condemned to spend the rest of the time in the greatest pain. This was justified by the multiple offensives of Eric Sékou Chelle’s players. The Malians will be rewarded for their efforts when Dorgeles Néné wraps a shot which will nestle in the top corner (1-0, 71e). Tirelessly, Mali continues with the same tempo and was heading towards its qualification for the semi-finals when Simon Adingra will maintain the Ivory Coast by equalizing at the very end of the match (1-1, 90e). Both teams continue with overtime. Elephants resist Malian fury. Penalties are coming. The Ivorians attempt a final offensive, pushed back by the Eagles defense. Séko Fofana puts the ball back in the package with a recovery. In the heat of the moment, Oumar Diakité deceives the entire Mali defense with a beautiful backheel and gives the Elephants victory and at the same time qualification (1-2, 120e +2).  It was an incredible scenario. Malians could not understand this turnaround.

Even their coach Eric Sékou Chelle could not resist this Ivorian hold-up. He fell down crying at the end of the match. “It’s very hard when you see a locker room that is affected and me the first. Shalom Gnambode won in the final ahead of Aziz Dandjinou, It's very hard. Now we have to go back down, I'm the first. Quickly dive back into an analysis. See what wasn't in this tournament and what was. And then discuss the future both with the players and the Federation….There is progress. But no, because the truth, it is that there is necessarily learning... It is despite everything a failure even if we have progressed in each match of this competition to arrive at this quality of play now, it’s still a failure because we deserved this victory. For me, we were on top tonight. Five minutes ago, where they were stronger than us”, said Eric Sékou Chelle, coach of the Eagles of Mali at the end of this incredible match.

Ivory Coast still remains alive in its tournament. The Elephants face the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Wednesday for a place in the final of the 34th African Cup of Nations.

Etienne YEMADJE, from Bouaké