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Last Hop of the Elephants (30.08.2005)
Captain Cyril Domoraud and his mates begin training today in Saint Etienne, France.
"The Elephants are 90 minutes from the World Cup". It is in these terms that most Ivorians talk about next Sunday’s epic encounter between the Elephant of Côte d’Ivoire and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. The Elephants, who are presently leading Group C with 19 points, need a victory to qualify for the German expedition next year irrespective of the results which they would have during the 10th and last playing day in October. Sunday’s match would therefore be a history-making event because it is the first time that the Elephants are getting so close to a World Cup. That is why so much importance is placed on next Sunday’s encounter, considered by many as the "final of Group C", to take place at the Abidjan`s Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.
Yesterday, head coach, Henri Michel, published a list of 20 players who are expected to begin camping today in Saint Etienne, France. The squad is made up essentially of professionals based in Europe. Team Captain, Cyril Domoraud, says the Elephants are set for the encounter. He explained that despite the 3 —0 spanking which they received from France, the friendly match was enriching as it permitted the team to identify its weaknesses.
Meanwhile, reports from Abidjan hold that the population is gearing up for the epic encounter. "All Ivorians must
rally behind the national football team on 4 September when it meets Cameroon during the 9th qualifying round for the joint 2006 World Cup/CAN finals", the vice-president of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF), Idriss Diallo, has said. The FIF has also prepared special Tee shirts, whose prices range from 3,000 FCFA to 7,000 FCFA to mobilise the public behind the national team. "This will be the last but one stage to our qualification and we are therefore calling for the support, commitment and loyalty of everybody without distinction of religion or political leaning. "The 4th of September 2005 is a historical date, it is therefore important everybody obtains his/her Tee shirt, which will be on sale by Tuesday," Diallo affirmed.
Next Sunday’s encounter, considered by many as the final of Group C in the ongoing eliminatories, will be a closed-gate match. No tickets will be sold from Thursday September . The tickets, whose prices range from 1,000 to 5,000 FCFA, have been on sale for long. The "prestige" ticket of between 25,000 FCFA and 100,000 FCFA, which have been on sale since the beginning of August, are almost finished.
Meanwhile, special security measures have been taken to ensure easy entry to and exit from, Abidjan`s Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium where the match will take place. To prevent over-crowding and scrambling around the stadium, only holders of tickets or accreditation will be allowed access.
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