Two years of invincibility!
Vice-champion of Africa 2020, this team made up of experienced players and novices with talent pegged to the heart (Costello, Zouzoua, Dadiet) has been delighting the Ivorian sports public for two years. In Africa, it is already seen as an ogre ready to eat everything in its path. ” Côte d’Ivoire is a complete team that is not afraid of anything. She plays hard, she really outdid us in all areas “, recognized Emanuel Trovoada, the Cape Verdean technician after the defeat of his people on August 28, 2022. “ They play like children in wonderland. Recklessness mixed with concentration is their strength. They are not afraid of anything. Thank you to the Ivorian Basketball Federation for putting together a giant that will dominate Africa in the years to come and titillate the best in the world “, enthused Dejan Prokic, proud interim coach of the Elephants.
An exceptional generation
It all started with the election of Mahama Coulibaly in January 2020, after three consecutive failures to run for this position. Once elected, the one who built his reputation with the Club Sportif d’Abidjan (CSA) laid the foundations of a formidable group by surrounding himself with aesthetes in the management of the ball in the basket. One name will particularly stand out. This is Carlo Viera. Responsible for unearthing rare pearls, he will bring from Spain, the USA and France athletes with undeniable qualities such as Nisré Zouzoua, Maixent Dadiet, Matthew Costello, Assemian Moulare, Vafessa Fofana as well as the latest extraterrestrial, the pivot Alex Poythress. The latter will join the surviving core of the 2013 African Cup including Souleymane Diabaté, the play maker, Konaté Stéphane and the vice-captain, Edi Guy, to form an explosive ensemble.
Do better than in 2019
The rest we know. Apart from friendly matches, for two years, Côte d’Ivoire has lost only one official meeting on the Continent in 15 confrontations. It was in the final of the Afrobasket 2020 against the Eagles of Carthage. ” You could say it’s a golden generation “Said Basketball expert Malick Daho, consultant on Canal +. After performances below at the 2019 World Cup, under the mandate of Agui Mathieu, the Elephants hope to play the leading roles in Japan, the Phillipines and Indonesia in 2023. means of their ambitions. “ I no longer know what to do to have the same means as football (budget of 7.6 million euros for the World Cup, Editor’s note). We will fight and prepare properly for this meeting of the best Says Mahama Coulibaly, chief architect of the “Dream Team” made in Côte d’Ivoire, who dreams of new titles after the continental titles of 1981 and 1985.
Born Séverin
