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Côte d`Ivoire`s dream turns into nightmare (07.09.2005)
by FIFAworldcup.com
The images make uncomfortable viewing. Supporters bedecked in Ivorian colours shouting, wailing and crying on the pitch of Abidjan`s Houphouet-Boigny stadium at six o`clock on the evening of Sunday 4 September. Inconsolable, they keep asking themselves what happened, for they realise the dream of seeing their side play at a FIFA World Cup™ has as good as slipped through their fingers. Instead, their place will likely be taken by Achille Webo and his Cameroonian cohorts.
Yet how all the Ivorians had believed. Seventy-two hours before kick-off, the streets of Abidjan were already awash with all the vibrant sound and colour of advance celebration. Almost as dawn broke, they began to fill the terraces of the Felicia, as the ground is known, and its surroundings, singing, dancing and galvanising their troops.
To the sound of the local music, zouglou, and the rhythm of numerous dances created specially for the occasion, they cranked the atmosphere right up. Particularly in evidence was the `Drogbacite`, a very popular dance these days in Côte d`Ivoire, consisting of mimes of playing moves characteristic of the national hero Didier Drogba. Outside the stadium the constant honking of drivers` horns could be heard all over the city, while the gutters ran red with chickens` blood, a traditional sacrifice in Africa, aimed at bringing luck to the national team.
They came in their thousands from every corner of the country, garbed in the tangerine, white and green of their heroes, in response to the calls from the government, players and media to get behind the team. When the Cameroon side came out onto the field to warm up, the Ivorian supporters did their utmost to intimidate them, but the Indomitable Lions, old hands at this level, were having none of it. The arrival of the Elephants was greeted by thunderous applause, and the names of the local legends, such as Drogba, Bonaventure Kalou, Aruna Dindane, Kolo Toure and Baky Kone, were chanted until they echoed across the city.
Abramovich and Mourinho watching
A few minutes before the match kicked off, a rumour that had been doing the rounds for a few days in Côte d`Ivoire ended up being proven. Jose Mourinho, the coach of Chelsea where both Didier Drogba and Cameroon`s Geremi ply their trade, appeared in the official stand alongside club owner Roman Abramovich. The visitors from London were greeted with their own mini-standing ovation and Mourinho`s
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name was chanted enthusiastically by the fans.
When the match began, the merest hint of an attack by the Elephants provoked unbridled excitement in the stands, where the hyped-up crowd was leaping up and down with delight. Up until the 29th minute, that is, when that man Webo`s left-foot lob punctured their excitement like a child`s balloon. The only sound breaking the eerie silence came from the small band of jubilant Cameroonian fans.
But eight minutes later, when Drogba equalised, the locals` ecstasy knew no bounds and the ground seemed to shake amid the deafening cheering. Supporters overcome with excitement were extricated from all areas of the terraces, and the various emergency services suddenly found themselves swamped.
Just before the break, Webo again brought the celebrations to a grinding halt, but at the start of the second half Drogba levelled the tie again with a superb free-kick. The reaction of the Ivorian fans was almost indescribable, as a new wave of faintings ensued. Their Germany 2006 dream was alive again.
Webo crushes the Ivorian dream
But the Cameroonians were determined to rain on their parade. With five minutes remaining, Webo, the Ivorians` chief tormentor, dived brilliantly headlong to meet a Geremi free-kick that had come back off the post. This third goal for Cameroon well and truly knocked the stuffing out of the brave Ivorians and the silence which followed was as intense as the delirium that had greeted each Ivorian equaliser.
Soon, a trickle of supporters began to vacate the terraces, convinced that it would take a miracle now for their team to qualify. The final moments of the game were torture for the Côte d`Ivoire bench and the fans in the stands, as the experienced Cameroon players held their nerve admirably until the final whistle.
When it came, they scarcely celebrated, no doubt mindful of the immense disappointment of the Ivorian people. As the stadium swiftly emptied, a few disillusioned spectators half-heartedly attempted to throw missiles onto the pitch.
Outside, the streets were deserted, with not a song or car horn to be heard. Most of the maquis, the open-air bars where locals dine and dance, which had been ready for a long night, had instead shut up early. A cloak of sadness hung over the city and everyone seemed stunned. Achille Webo had turned the Ivorian dream into a nightmare, and on Monday morning, the entire country woke up feeling groggy.
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