Two peoples, one city and the same intense joy of experiencing an AFCON quarter-final "between brothers," as supporters of both nations hammer home. On Saturday February 3, Mali takes on Côte d'Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké. In this stunning AFCON, it was only fitting that this sub-regional classic, this "Barça-Real," as it was dubbed by local reporters, should be held in this very special city, the country's second largest (population over 800,000) and home to a large Malian diaspora.
In the streets swamped by motorcycle taxis, some of the drivers were sporting Eagles jerseys, puffing out their chests. "Bouaké is Mali," proclaimed Sanogo Touma, a 43-year-old shopkeeper whose boutique is located not far from the bus station. "I was born in Bouaké, but I have to support my father's country. It won't be a small match." He promises that the stands will be "north to south and east to west" in the colors of the Eagles.
"In 2016, there was a match in Bouaké between the two countries. Mali opened the scoring, and the stadium rose to its feet. I said to myself 'We're being invaded.' Afterward, we calmed them down," said Jean-Claude Kouakou, a 47-year-old Ivorian. The Elephants won 3-1. "The atmosphere will be hot during this quarter-final but in a good way. There'll be a match on the pitch and another in the stands, with the Ivorians dominating. We're at home after all!"
At the end of the day on Friday, this medical sales representative was buying a tunic in the colors of the Elephants. The three sellers, all of Malian origin, had arrived from Abidjan with 1,500 orange and 500 yellow-green-red shirts for sale. For these men, who live in Côte d'Ivoire, this match is a torment: which side should they choose? The Eagles or the Elephants? "May the best team win," said 35-year-old Samba Cissé, who preferred to dodge the issue before changing his mind: "Côte d'Ivoire has to win because we've got a lot of jerseys to sell." One of his colleagues was a little less cynical. "I'm divided, but I'm leaning more toward Côte d'Ivoire," confided Amadou Sylla, 24. "It's true that I'm Malian, but I was born here, I grew up here, my heart is Ivorian."
It's a sentiment shared by many Malians we met in this city. "We remain two inseparable neighboring countries," insisted Sylla. Geographically, Bouaké is at the center of Côte d'Ivoire. A commercial crossroads between the various countries of the sub-region, the city has welcomed immigration from Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal and Mali in recent decades. Since the 2002 rebellion, of which it was the "capital," and the political crises in Mali and Burkina Faso from 2012 onward, the number of nationals from these two countries has increased still further.
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