It took 40 years for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to return to Côte d'Ivoire. In a country where football is a religion, the wait seemed interminable. With just a few hours to go before the opening match between Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea Bissau on Saturday, January 13, the party was already in full swing at the Treichville market in Abidjan. In the maze of stores, saleswomen danced among the stalls piled high with bananas, peppers and fish, calling out to each other with whistles and vuvuzelas.
"We're so looking forward to the first match that we've already started singing and dancing," enthused Karidiatou Konaté before blowing her vuvuzela. "I've been waiting for this for so long. In 1984, I watched the opening ceremony on TV with my parents," recalled Maurice Kouassi, who had come to buy a jersey for the Elephants, the national team. "Dozens of pigeons flew out of the mouth of a huge cardboard elephant... I was 10 years old and couldn't believe my eyes!"
In order to host this AFCON until February 11, the Ivorians have deployed considerable resources. Out of a total cost of €1.5 billion, over €762 million was invested in infrastructure. Four stadiums have been built: Ebimpé (in the northern suburbs of Abidjan), where the opening match will take place, San Pedro (southwest), Yamoussoukro (center) and Korhogo (north). Two others have been extensively renovated in Abidjan, the economic capital, and Bouaké (center). Twenty-four training pitches have also been fitted out. To facilitate travel for fans and the 24 teams, several roads have been modernized or extended. The "coastal" road, which links the economic capital to San Pedro over a distance of 350 kilometers, has been completely rebuilt, halving the travel time between the two towns. A freeway has also been lengthened to link Abidjan with Yamoussoukro, the capital, and Bouaké, the country's second-largest city. The aim is to avoid the traffic jams that plague the lives of Ivorians: one and a half million visitors are expected during the competition.
For the occasion, Abidjan was decked out with thousands of Ivorian and Confederation of African Football (CAF) flags. Since Friday morning, the orange color of the national team has been everywhere, and people in cars have been honking at each other from street to street. The Ivorian metropolis will host the largest number of matches, with eight national teams playing. "This Cup has already brought us a lot of good things," said Elisabeth Assi, a banana seller at the Treichville market. "The city is cleaner and we have new bridges, better-lit spaces..." The Alassane-Ouattara Olympic Stadium, built between the dormitory towns of Abobo, Yopougon and Anyama, will host the first match, the final and all the national team's matches.
For this first match, where the 60,000 seats are sure to be full, all eyes will also be on the pitch of the Ebimpé stadium. On September 12, the friendly match between Côte d'Ivoire and Mali had to be interrupted due to a violent storm, the pitch became waterlogged. The incident led to the dismissal of Prime Minister Patrick Achi and Sports Minister Paulin Danho. A new head of government, Robert Beugré Mambé, who also holds the sports portfolio, has since been tasked with organizing "the greatest AFCON in history," according to Alassane Ouattara, the Head of State. Will the gamble pay off? François Amichia, the president of the AFCON Organizing Committee, was delighted to say that "all the sports infrastructures are ready."
"Let the party begin!" headlined the daily Fraternité Matin for its Saturday edition. "Elephants, it's time to play," wrote Le Patriote. Alongside Morocco, semi-finalists at the World Cup in Qatar, and Senegal, holders of the title, the host country is the favorite. Côte d'Ivoire, winners in 1992 and 2015, find themselves in a group within their reach, along with Nigeria, whose defense appears shaky, the often surprising Equatorial Guinea and the more modest Guinea Bissau. "The conditions are right for us to be at our best," assured Jean-Louis Gasset, the 70-year-old French coach of the Ivorians, on Friday. "I am discovering something new, a higher pressure and I want to realise the dream of an entire people. I am surrounded by personalities who have experience of Africa, people who have won the CAN and they explain to me what awaits me."
With probably the best midfield of the competition, comprising Seko Fofana, Franck Kessié and Ibrahim Sangaré, the Ivorians can be confident, but they will have to be wary of the curse that has befallen the host country. Since Egypt in 2006, no team has won at home. For this 34th edition of the African Cup, CAF has revalued the prize money for the winner of the competition to $7 million, an increase of 40%. As for the fans, they want to dance to the rhythm of the matches. "We're waiting for the Elephants to win and we want them to sweat," sang Elisabeth Assi in the middle of Treichville's big market. "The African Cup has just arrived in our country, and we want it to stay!"
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.