Part 31 of 32: The Côte d’Ivoire Interview
For part 31 of the series, I caught up with Vancity Eagle who preferred to remain anonymous. Vancity believes that a new world order of football is ahead of us as will be evident from 2010 when African and Asian teams starting making bigger impact. Needless to say, he loves the Côte d’Ivoire football team.
I thank Vancity for agreeing to the interview.
Tell us a bit about the Ivory Coast football history and the football culture which exists.
The team have always been a strong side in Africa, African champs in 92. Barely missed out in qualifying for US 94. Needed to tie Nigeria in their final game but lost. The people love the game and love to play it. Also, there is a fair amount of talent.
Tell us a bit about the Road to the World Cup – the qualification, and the emotions the fans went through at the time.
They were very strong throughout, beating Egypt home and away, however lost to Cameroon home and away. If it wasn’t for Egypt tying Cameroon in the final game, Ivory Coast wouldn’t have qualified. There was celebration every where after the qualification and every one celebrated.
What style of football does the national team play?
Depending on the opponent, sometimes they play defensive and rely on counterattack, other times they attack relentlessly with precise passing.
What do you think your country’s prospects are at the World Cup?
They are in the group of death, so its very 50-50. If they are disciplined and play to their potential, they should be good enough to go through. They must keep their heads, put away chances and not make defensive mistakes.
Who will be the most important player for your country?
Didier Drogba is such a team leader. He does everything. He inspires, he creates, he scores, he defends, he never gives up. Toure will also be very key to marshalling the defence.
Which player in your country’s side would you most like to get rid of?
Blaise Kouassi a central defender. He is very slow to react at times. This was evident in the nations cup.
Who are the players to watch from the other countries?
Against Argentina, they must stop Riquelme, he is their engine. Lionel Messi must also be watched if he comes in. They must mark out Van Nistelrooy and Robben against the dutch.
What will be your excuse in the event of failure?
Pretty obvious, we were in the group of death. Possibly the hardest group in modern history.
Have you got the right manager?
Yes I think so. Henri Michel has been with the team for a while and he has got a winning mentality in this team.
What advice would you give him?
To practise defending set pieces.
Which team do you most want to beat?
Argentina.
Where will you watch the matches?
At home on my HD TV.
How keenly will the World Cup be followed in your country?
Everyone will be watching.
Who will be the player of the tournament?
Ronaldinho.
Who will win the Golden Boot?
Hard to say, maybe Adriano.
Which team will disappoint the most?
Czech Rep., everyone is expecting the same team that did well in Euro 04. They are the oldest team in the tournament and had peaked two years ago. They are in a tough group and are not as good as they were.
Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?
I think either Ivory Coast or Ghana will be the surprise of the tournament, because they will show they are capable of playing against the very best teams in the world, and this is their first world cup.
Finally, Who will win the World Cup?
I think a European team will beat Brazil in the final, maybe England or Italy.
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For the rest of the interviews, check out the World Cup interview series page.
Tags: côte divoire football, FIFA World Cup 2006, Football Interview Series.
