"The more things change, the more the stay the same."
--Emilie

 >Friday, February 1, 2002.
 >By Celestine Okonkwo
 >
 >IVORIENS have reacted harshly to the exit of the Elephants from the 23rd
 >Nations Cup with some of them calling for the disbandment of the team and
 >the government to suspend its subventions to football.
 >
 >"People were criticising Gen. Robert Guel for taking members of the national
 >team to the military training school for some lessons on patriotism when
 >they lost in the 2000 edition of the Nations cup, but I will want them this
 >time around to be taken to the Akouedo barracks and be flogged," Kouassi
 >Paul, a mechanic said after the match.
 >
 >He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abidjan that he would recommend
 >that the national team be disbanded for 10 years adding, "being eliminated
 >is part of the game but not being humiliated as the Congolese have done to
 >us." Kone Coulibaly, a student who said that the players collected five
 >million f cfa (about N1 million) each "just for jamboree in Mali," added
 >that the outcome was the result of the "megalomania" of Ivoriens and their
 >football, because they never wanted to copy other people or learn from what
 >others do.
 >
 >"As usual, because we did not qualify for the World Cup, Ivorien television
 >stations would not show the World Cup matches, neither would the citizens
 >show interest even in other African teams involved, so that our younger ones
 >would learn from the experiences."
 >
 >NAN reports that the national dailies were unanimous in their condemnation
 >of the performance of the team as they almost all carried banner headlines
 >of "Shame" while others titled their write-ups as "Ivorien football
 >humiliated," and some as "Cote d'Ivoire is sick of its footballers."
 >
 >One of the dailies, Le Jour, said that the country had received a cruel exit
 >because of players "who lacked the will, the driving force to look for
 >goals, who do not want to take initiatives and because of flagrant cheating
 >by some of them."
 >
 >Another newspaper, Le National, even went as far as calling the players "a
 >band of bandits who took it upon themselves to disgrace the country in
 >Soundiata's land in the Nations Cup, where the defence of most teams have
 >become impenetrable, only the Ivorien defence remained porous to have
 >allowed four goals to pass and with an inexistent attackers."
 >
 >It called on the government to imitate the Camerounian government that once
 >dissolved its national team and sent packing the football federation,
 >adding, "the result is clear for all to see today."
 >
 >The paper, which blamed the failure of the national team on the chairman of
 >the federation and the sports minister whom it called "vampires" thirsty for
 >money, said that both of them were engaged in hostilities which sowed the
 >seed of discord in the team when the country badly needed unity around the
 >players.
 >
 >The national said that the Nations Cup had ended for the Elephants "through
 >the fault of a coach that is limited in knowledge and that of small rascals"
 >who are pompously called "footballers" adding, "they have shown to the whole
 >world that they do not have a place in the Nations Cup."
 >
 >"Congolese ball gave problems to the very heavy and badly inspired Elephants
 >with no souls," Fraternite Matin, the government-owned newspaper said of the
 >team before, adding "after an inconsistent display, the players have finally
 >sent the Elephants to their houses."
 >
 >In its article title: "Elephants humiliated," the paper said that the
 >footballers had tarnished the image of the country, as they came last in the
 >group with a very said report for those who knew the worth of Ivorien
 >football. NAN reports that the Ivoriens really prepare their minds for a
 >beautiful outing of the national team, especially after their 1-1 draw with
 >the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a friendly match in Bouake.
 >
 >Some 20 luxury buses were hired for those who would want to go to cheer the
 >team and with money flowing from the government, individuals and firms in
 >support of the team. The national committee for the support of the Elephants
 >had asked every Ivorien to contribute 1,000 f cfa (about N180) each in order
 >to sustain the team during the Nations Cup and the President made available
 >about 20 million f cfa for the supporters.

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