After Sierra Leone last month (1-0), Côte d'Ivoire bit the dust again on Friday in Zambia (1-0) on the occasion of the 5th day of the CAN 2025 qualifiers.
Despite the qualification acquired since Wednesday following the draw between Chad and Sierra Leone (1-1), this second defeat in a row is necessarily a stain for the reigning African champion, who was showing off his new jersey. Present at the post-match press conference in Ndola, the coach of ElephantsEmerse Faé, did not mince his words.
“We were eaten”
“I am disappointed for the defeat. We must be able to beat a team like Zambia, even with injuries. We didn't make it. We were eaten. I'm disappointed with the way we played. It's a defeat that's difficult to explain. We had too much waste and Yahia Fofana saved us. Offensively, we showed nothing. We had too many players below their level“, railed the technician.
It is indeed difficult to say anything positive after such a defeat even if it is true that executives like Jean Michaël Seri and Sébastien Haller were missing. For their part, Simon Adingra and Jean-Philippe Krasso weighed too little offensively, while the bill could have been heavier without several saves from Yahia Fofana, who managed to make up for errors in his defense. The Selefanto owes a revenge to its supporters on Tuesday against Chad at home at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Adidjan at the conclusion of these qualifiers.
