The discontent with Ivory Coast’s coach, Sabri Lamouchi, has manifested in the form of a Facebook community demanding his dismissal. The page titled “Fire Sabri Lamouchi now” was created shortly after the Senegal-Côte d’Ivoire match on November 16, despite Ivory Coast securing qualification for the 2014 World Cup. The page quickly garnered support, with over 10,000 fans expressing their dissatisfaction with Lamouchi’s coaching.
The reasons cited for the demand include concerns about Lamouchi’s coaching experience, the fear of humiliation, and objections to his salary of 200,000 euros for an intern. Fans are also advocating for the return of François Zahoui, the former Ivory Coast coach from 2010 to 2012, who led the team to the final of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN). A petition titled “Zahoui national for our national team” has already received a thousand signatures. The discontent reflects the high expectations and passion of the Ivorian football community.
