Ivory Coast Launches National Campaign to Rally Support for World Cup Team
Ivory Coast’s Minister of Youth Promotion, Sports and Leisure, Michel Alain Lobognon, has officially launched a nationwide campaign to rally support behind the Elephants as they prepare for their third consecutive FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on Wednesday, Lobognon urged Ivorians to put aside political, religious, and social divisions, using the global tournament as an opportunity to foster national unity and reconciliation.
“This opportunity must be used, not only to magnify and support our national team, but also to allow Ivorians to come together in the communes, in the neighborhoods, everywhere in the convivial spaces that will be dedicated to it,” he said.
For the minister, the team’s success in Brazil will depend not just on their skill on the pitch but also on “our mobilisation, our prayers and above all our support.”
Last week, President Alassane Ouattara contributed 300 million CFA francs (approximately £375,000) to the National Committee for the Support of Elephants (CNSE), which is coordinating the campaign.
The Ivory Coast squad, placed in Group C, will open their World Cup campaign on June 14 against Japan in Recife. They will then face Colombia on June 19 in Brasilia, followed by Greece on June 24 in Fortaleza.
The Elephants enter the tournament with high hopes, aiming to build on strong showings in previous World Cups and the Africa Cup of Nations.
The government’s campaign highlights the powerful role football plays in Ivory Coast, not just as a sport but as a means to unite a nation still healing from past divisions.
