* In September 2002, the city was ravaged by civil war, as troops took control of the northern part of the West African country
* What was once a vibrant city had been battered and scarred and it became a shadow of itself
* With child soldiers patrolling the streets in armored tanks and occasional gunshots at night, instilling fear that the troops were taking over the city
Maravi Express
Football delivers results, and the transformation in Bouake, the second-largest city in Côte d’Ivoire, is undeniable. In September 2002, the city was ravaged by civil war, as troops took control of the northern part of the West African country.
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This marked a significant turning point in the lives of the people — what was once a vibrant city had been battered and scarred and it became a shadow of itself, with child soldiers patrolling the streets in armored tanks and occasional gunshots at night, instilling fear that the troops were taking over the city.
Stade de la Paix, a stadium used for the 1984 AFCON, served as an execution site during the civil war, according to locals and in an effort to unite the people of Côte d’Ivoire, Stade de la Paix hosted the country’s game against Madagascar in June 2007 in the AFCON 2008 qualifiers.
Twenty-five thousand fans witnessed Côte d’Ivoire winning the game 5-0, marking a significant turning point.
“It was interesting when the game against Madagascar was played. We were all tense when the announcement was made because of how things were ongoing here,” said a witness.
Two decades later, the story has completely changed — Bouake is hosting Africa’s flagship football tournament at the renovated Stade de la Paix, now with a 40,000-seater capacity.
The city, once a rebel base, is now welcoming Africa’s football community. These days, it’s all pomp and pageantry and beyond the beauty of the football witnessed here, the town has become a major beneficiary of the byproducts of an AFCON that has provided infrastructure, an economic boost for locals, and an upliftment of spirits that were once in the woods.
The fairytale excites many locals who have witnessed both sides of Bouake: “You have no idea what the current state of Bouake means to us. We are very excited to see people moving freely without any fear; this is a great feeling,” said a native of Bouake.
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In October 2005, Côte d’Ivoire’s FIFA World Cup hopes were hanging by a thread as they were contesting for a place at the competition against fierce competitors Cameroon.
The team, captained by the country’s and African football legend, Didier Drogba travelled to Sudan knowing that if Cameroon failed to beat Egypt, they could leapfrog them with a win of their own and qualify for the 2006 World Cup for the first time.
The Ivorians, who boasted other Premier League stars such as Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo Toure, managed to beat Sudan 3-1 and the players then frantically walked into the dressing room to hurdle around a radio in order to update themselves with the developments of what was going on in the Cameroon match against Egypt.
The Indomitable Lions were drawing 1-1 with the seven time African champions, but with just minutes to go, they were awarded a penalty — luckily for Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon’s Pierre Wome missed from the spot, to allow them through to the World Cup for the first time in their history.
Almost 1,600 miles away, the war that began in 2002 between President Laurent Gbagbo’s government and Guillaume Soro’s rebel faction named ‘The New Forces of Côte d’Ivoire ‘ continued to impact Ivorian lives.
As the players celebrated wildly, Drogba opted to take that opportunity to address the nation, pleading for an end to the war whilst the nation celebrated their achievement.
Drogba began: “Men and women of Côte d’Ivoire — from the north, south, centre, and west — we proved today that all Ivorians can coexist and play together with a shared aim — to qualify for the World Cup.
“We promised you that the celebrations would unite the people —today we beg you on our knees,” the striker continued before all players proceeded to fall on their knees.
“The one country in Africa with so many riches must not descend into war. Please lay down your weapons and hold elections,” he finished.
The players then rose and sang: “We want to have fun, so stop firing your guns!”
The words had a huge effect, eventually helping the two warring sides to the negotiating table where a ceasefire was signed.
This wasn’t the end of it — the year after, while touring the rebel-held north of Côte d’Ivoire, he announced that the national team’s match against Madagascar on June 3, 2007 would be played in the rebel stronghold of Bouake.
The beauty and unifying force of football are evident in Bouake, a testament to how the game brings people together and as the CAF AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023 wraps up soon, there will be much to look back on and be proud of.
For indigenes and the larger Ivorian people, the fireside chat will be how once upon a time, football came to town and changed everything.—Reporting by CAFonline
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