By Kingsley Kobo
ABIDJAN
Ivorians, and indeed many Africans, are pinning their hopes on their national team as it braces for its third consecutive appearance at the World Cup, the world's most important sporting event.
"If you look at the mixture of experience and talent in the Ivorian national team – as well as their not-too-formidable adversaries in Group C: Japan, Greece and Colombia – you can say they have the best chance among the five African representatives to progress from the group stage," Stephan Pradko of global soccer digital platform Foot365 told Anadolu Agency.
The Ivorian squad features several proven talents, including three-time African Footballer of the Year and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure and seasoned striker and former Chelsea talisman Didier Drogba.
The 20th World Cup will run from June 12 to July 13 with the participation of 32 teams from five continents. The one-month event will kick off with a lavish ceremony and a Brazil-Croatia opening match at Sao Paulo's Corinthians Stadium.
The world's most widely viewed sporting event, the cup's 20th edition will feature a total of 64 matches to be hosted by 12 cities across Brazil.
The Elephants, as the Ivorian team is fondly called, will open their 2014 World Cup campaign against Japan on Saturday, June 14.
Ivory Coast currently sits at 23rd place in the latest FIFA monthly ranking, ceding Africa's top spot to another World Cup-bound team, Algeria, who are ranked 22nd globally.
The Elephants failed to reach the knockout stage of the 2006 World Cup and at South Africa's 2010 edition and surviving the group stage will now be their chief objective in Brazil.
Cameroon will battle host nation Brazil, Croatia and Mexico in Group A. Ghana, meanwhile, will have a rough ride in Group G against European giants Germany and Portugal, in addition to the U.S.
Nigeria, another African powerhouse, will have a better chance in Group F, where it will take on Argentina, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Algeria, for its part, is slated to play against Belgium, Russia and South Korea in Group H.
Challenging
The current generation of Ivorian players is often described as the best squad the team has ever produced. Paradoxically, however, they have yet to win a single title after more than a decade of playing together.
Local supporters, who still remember the pain of losing the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final to Zambia on penalties, are now being cautious in their expectations.
"If you go around the country, you will see that people are yet to really show enthusiasm for the tournament," Lydie Camara, a female nurse in Abidjan, told AA. "This is because they don't want their hearts to be broken, like in 2012."
"After the first two games of Ivory Coast in Brazil, support will swell or completely disappear, depending on their performance and results achieved," Camara said.
This fact does not appear to have been lost on the players.
Captain Drogba recently said the team's key objective was to deliver a satisfactory performance for Ivorians, who generally come together during crucial tournaments like the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
"We think of our public, our people each time we step onto the pitch; this gives us the fighting spirit to deliver," he said after a June 4 warm-up match against El Salvador, which the Elephants won 2-1.
Unifying
The authorities, for their part, are seizing the opportunity afforded by the sports gala to divert public attention from the country's divisive political scene and celebrate the event as a unifying force.
"The World Cup is not just for footballers and fans. It's politics as well," Marcel Tape, a psychology professor at Abidjan's Felix Houphouet Boigny University, told AA.
"The authorities are investing heavily in bonuses, incentives, sponsorship and advertisements because they know Ivorians will forgo their differences during the period and unite to support their national team," he said.
"This could yield some reconciliation dividends, even after the World Cup," Boigny added.
The West African country is gradually recovering from a 2011 post-election conflict in which 3000 people were killed. Wounds from that conflict have yet to heal, despite the government's reconciliation efforts.
President Alassane Ouattara has offered $600,000 to the national team's supporters association (CNSE) to cover transportation and accommodation for 50 supporters who will go to Brazil, according to the Sports Ministry.
Local sports journalists also received a total of some $100,000 from the president to cover their World Cup bills.
"It's huge support. We are happy to be able to put up appearance in Brazil like other countries to support our team and fly our orange, white and green national colors," CNSE Chairman Parfait Kouassi told AA by phone from Sao Paulo.
However, he said their initial budget had been $800,000, but, with $600,000 already in hand, the association could count on sponsorships from companies and individuals to cover the deficit.
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