Copa Barry, the Ivory Coast goalkeeper, reflects on the unsettling incidents that unfolded at Stade Sédar Senghor in Dakar during the last CAN qualifying match against Senegal. In an interview with Abidjan.net, he candidly discusses his experiences:
- “Frankly, we were well received in Dakar. We received a warm welcome at the airport. Even though there were many Ivorians when we arrived, the majority of people present were Senegalese. You could feel the joy in people’s eyes. You know, we are a team with stars like Didier Drogba or Yaya Touré. It’s always a pleasure for people to come and admire us. It really made us happy to receive such a warm welcome and to see so many people come to cheer us on.”
- “We really didn’t see things coming. The spectators started throwing projectiles only shortly after our second goal. At no time did we imagine what happened. We told ourselves that it was a way for the supporters to release their disappointment and that calm would quickly return. Unfortunately, this was not the case. After five minutes of stoppage in play, we knew it would be difficult to resume the game.”
- “I was scared, but I was more scared for our supporters. I couldn’t stand seeing them jump from the stands. We had supporters injured with broken feet and arms. These are unbearable images. Football is not war. You don’t come to the stadium to see blood flow. It really doesn’t give a good image of African youth.”
- “We barely left the pitch. We were forced to take shelter behind the police and their shields. What I deplore is the sad image that these incidents give to Africa. It’s not just Senegal that we see but all of Africa. It’s really a shame, a thousand times a shame. We left in a funny way. We were put in several police 4X4s. It was really weird for us to leave the stadium like that, even though we had arrived there on a bus singing.”
