Ziguinchor, May 8 (APS) – The coach of the Senegal national football team, Aliou Cissé, pleaded for the renovation of the Jules François Bocandé stadium in Ziguinchor (south).
”We have the Aline Sitoé Diatta stadium, which is a legend of Casamance. It would also be good to rehabilitate the Jules François Bocandé stadium to give this gentleman what he deserves as a son of the country and son of Casamance. This is the recognition he deserves,” he said.
Aliou Cissé spoke on Tuesday at the Alliance Française in Ziguinchor, on the sidelines of cultural activities, organized in tribute to the Senegalese footballer, who died on May 7, 2012.
On this occasion, a round table on the theme ”The legacy of Essamaay”, was moderated by Nouha Cissé, historian and former president of Casa Sports, and the journalist Abdoulatif Diop, author of the book ”Bocandé, l” eternal legend”.
Welcoming this initiative, Nouha Cissé called for perpetuating this type of event dedicated to Jules François Bocandé which brought a lot of emotion to football lovers.
The coach of the Senegal national football team, Aliou Cissé, noted that “we cannot talk about Jules François Bocandé without talking about the Senegal national football team”.
”He was an idol and a reference for an entire generation. We must not forget our dead. Jules François Bocandé sacrificed himself for Senegal,” he testified, recounting that “one day he went so far as to take a red card with a club in France [FC Metz] to be able to come and defend the colors of the nation.
”Jules François Bocande was a patriot. He honored the colors of the national team in all the competitions he participated in,” he further testified, believing that “it is important to talk about this legend, for the future generation,”.
The commemoration of the twelfth anniversary of the disappearance of the former captain of the ”Lions” of Senegal is organized by +Mama Human Project Development+, an association which supports cultural projects promoting well-being and strengthening social bonds and society audiovisual and cinematographic production, Linkering Productions.
”These cultural activities are organized to celebrate the memory of this great man who, through his passion for football, demonstrated throughout his life his visceral attachment to his land of origin, Casamance, his commitment especially in favor of her homeland, Senegal,” argued Mama Hann, the founder of Mama +Human Project Development+.
It will be about ”celebrating the remarkable contribution of Jules François Bocandé to Senegalese sport,” she added.
An exhibition of previously unpublished photographs of the footballer who died in Metz, France, at the age of 53, as well as the screening of the documentary ”Essamaay, Bocandé la panthère”, by directors Maky Madiba Sylla and Lionel Bourqui, on Wednesday, are on the program for these cultural days dedicated to the memory of Bocandé.
The same documentary will be screened on Thursday at the Independence Square in Sédhiou and on May 11 at the Aline-Sitoé-Diatta crossroads in Ziguinchor.
Members of the Senegalese footballer’s family, local elected officials, and several sports players are taking part in this event which ends on May 11.
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