Mali vs Cote D’Ivoire – The hosts take on an impressive Malian side for a place in the semifinal.
Mali have qualified for their seventh quarterfinals in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations following a 2-1 triumph over Burkina Faso in the round of 16. The Eagles were never the favourites of the local fans as Ivorians were rooting for the Stallions.
Ivorians had counted on Mali to beat Namibia in Group E’s final matchday to help the Elephants maintain their good position in the ranking of the third best-placed team. However, Mali and Namibia settled for a goalless draw, which pushed Cote D’Ivoire to the edge of the ranking.
It was Morocco’s 1-0 win over Zambia in Group F that handed the Elephants passage to the round of 16. Moroccans became the latest darling in the host nation while Malians were deemed as enemies of progress. Nevertheless, who was really at fault?
In the 2008 edition, Mali were in a similar situation, with their chances to progress to the quarterfinals hanging by a thread. Their final game in Group B (Malii vs Cote D’Ivoire) was against Cote D’Ivoire. Mali needed one point to snatch the group’s second spot over Nigeria. However, Cote D’Ivoire crushed them 3-0 and sent Mali packing out of the tournament.
A Malian representative told reporters in Abidjan a few days ago that the game against Namibia wasn’t an act of revenge for their loss to Cote D’Ivoire in 2008.
“Who would have an opportunity to score a goal at the Afcon and ignore it? We did our best to score, to win, but the goals did not flow,” he said.
His explanations would not convince even the lamest Ivorian. The popular opinion on-line and on the streets remains: “Mali’s deep hatred for Cote D’Ivoire, despite close to two million of its nationals living in the country.”
The Elephants former captain Didier Drogba once married to a Malian, Lala Diakite, with whom he shares three children. The couple separated three years ago.
“By the time Mali suffered that 3-0 defeat at the hands of Cote D’Ivoire, Drogba was still married to our compatriot. Drogba even opened the scoring in the ninth minute,” Idrissa Boubacar, the president of Malian Association in Cote D’Ivoire told ACLSports.
“Malians couldn’t celebrate their win over Burkina Faso on the streets of Abidjan. We were terribly afraid. People could attack us. Football is becoming crazy.”
Interestingly, both teams – Mali and Cote D’Ivoire – are set to renew hostilities in the quarterfinals in Bouake on Saturday. We expect a hostile reception for the Eagles of Mali but Boucabar has a different view.
“Bouake has more than 50,000 Malians living and working there. We are purchasing tickets to fill the stadium to create a second home for our team when they face off against the Elephants this weekend. We want the game to be decided on the pitch and not from the stands,” he said.
In their head-to-head stats (Mali vs Cote D’Ivoire), both teams have met eight times, with Cote D’Ivoire prevailing five times as opposed to one win for Mali while two other games ended in stalemates.
