The former Lensois has become essential with the Elephants, who challenge Congo this Wednesday in the semi-finals (9:00 p.m.).
Seko Fofana’s rage to win allowed Côte d’Ivoire to achieve the miracles that took them to the semi-final of the African Cup against DR Congo, Wednesday (9:00 p.m.) in Abidjan, and for the player to conquer finally his country after misunderstandings.
During the previous CAN, in 2022, the midfielder declined the selection, favoring his then club, RC Lens, in Ligue 1. His power was lacking in Côte d’Ivoire, which was eliminated from the round of 16 by Egypt. On forums, Elephants supporters had criticized Fofana for feeling more French than Ivorian. “It’s all over, it’s behind us. We forgave him for snubbing the team a bit in the past.explains to AFP journalist Choilio Diomandé, who follows the Ivorian selection for the magazine Abidjan Sports. “Today,” he adds, “we could not accept that Côte d’Ivoire evolves without Seko Fofana. He’s the boss of the midfield, the leader, he scores the two goals against Mali (2-1 after the quarter-final, Editor’s note) on strikes, inspirations..
The former Lensois “has entered the hearts of the Ivorians, he is a player who fights, who shows anger, the rage to win”, adds Diomandé, influential local football columnist. Forgotten the angry comments on social networks which particularly attacked “French”, Seko Fofana in the lead, native of Paris, trained at Paris FC then in Lorient. When Jean-Louis Gasset, coach ousted in the middle of the tournament after the 4-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea in the group stage, took over the team in 2022, he negotiated with the player to convince him to return. And it’s a great success, despite a failed first round. “He is practically on all the Elephants’ goals at the CAN”underlines for AFP Gadji Celi, the captain of the first Ivorian selection to win an African Cup, in 1992.
Fofana, who recently moved from Al-Nassr to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, scored the Orange’s first goal in the tournament against Guinea-Bissau (2-0), and it was two of his strikes that led to the equalization in extremis then the victory in overtime against the “Eagles” of Mali on Saturday in the quarter-finals. “There is talent that speaks”says the player himself. «Simon (Adingra) who makes the difference on the first goal (coming from a blocked shot from Fofana)and after me I knock and he (Oumar Diakité) follows well and scores in the last situation (120th+1)”. On this winning goal, “just before I pray for a ball and a strike, because I know that in moments like that, we tend to panic. I take the ball well, behind Oumar is well placed and he scores”.
The power of Seko Fofana, who made the Bollaert stadium vibrate in L1, has a lot to do with it. “He fights, he puts a huge amount of energy into everything he does”resumes Gadji Celi. “He brings a lot to the Elephants, he is a great midfielder, very experienced, he is an example, and one of the best players on this team”completes the former footballer who became a very popular singer in Ivory Coast, where he is called «The King».
As for his intermittent relationship with the national team, only 17 caps (6 goals) since the first, in 2017, “he had his reasons, they have been resolved, the main thing is that he is there”, sweeps Gadji Celi. The supporters have forgotten everything, capsized by the incredible finish of the Elephants on Saturday evening in the orange oven of Bouaké against Mali. “We felt them throughout the meeting”called Seko Fofana. “We feel that we are a united country, even if we experienced difficult times, especially after the Equatorial Guinea match where we received insults, we were at rock bottom. But we are happy to have made history”. All is forgiven.
