Toute la vérité C’était le buzz sur la toile et autres réseaux sociaux. Et ce, après la défaite en quarts de finale de la Can 2013, à Rustenburg face au Nigeria, dimanche dernier’’. Après quelques investigations hier, il nous revient que c’est encore une rumeur. Selon une source à la Fédération ivoirienne de football, Yaya Touré et Zokora Didier n’ont pas rejoint le groupe aux vestiaires à la fin du match. Ils ont été appelés au contrôle anti-dopage et ont passé plus de 40 minutes avec les médecins de la Caf. «C’est méchant d’opposer ces deux joueurs très professionnels. Les gens ne viennent pas à l’information et distillent des allégations mensongères. C’est regrettable», a précisé notre source. Il a fait savoir que le ministre Alain Lobognon et l’ambassadeur de Côte d’Ivoire en Afrique du sud, ont rendu une visite aux Éléphants et à la délégation de la Fif, hier lundi 4 février à Rustenburg. Les autorités ivoiriennes présentes en Afrique du Sud, ont voulu apporter leur soutien à cette équipe malgré son échec en quarts de finale. Un geste, dit-il, que les joueurs ont apprécié. Concernant cette prétendue bagarre entre Drogba et Yaya, les proches de ces deux joueurs, avouent que ceux-ci sont étonnés de cette rumeur.
Annoncia S., envoyé spécial
La Côte d'Ivoire et sa passion pour le sport: Une nation dynamique sur tous les terrains
La Côte d'Ivoire, pays situé en Afrique de l'Ouest, est réputée pour sa passion débordante pour le sport. De l'excitation des rencontres de football aux compétitions de basket-ball palpitantes, en passant par les exploits des athlètes sur la scène internationale, le sport joue un rôle central dans la société ivoirienne. Cet article explore la diversité sportive en Côte d'Ivoire et met en lumière quelques-uns des sports les plus populaires du pays.
Le football, une véritable passion nationale: Sans surprise, le football occupe une place de choix dans le cœur des Ivoiriens. Le pays a une longue histoire de succès dans ce sport, avec une équipe nationale, surnommée les "Éléphants", qui a connu des moments glorieux, notamment en remportant la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations en 1992 et en participant régulièrement à la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA. Les Ivoiriens vivent avec ferveur les compétitions de football et soutiennent ardemment leurs clubs locaux, tels que l'Africa Sports, l'ASEC Mimosas et le Stella Club d'Adjamé.
Basket-ball, un sport en pleine expansion: Le basket-ball gagne également en popularité en Côte d'Ivoire. Les équipes nationales masculines et féminines ont connu des succès considérables sur la scène africaine, se qualifiant régulièrement pour les compétitions internationales. Les clubs de basket-ball tels que le Club Sportif Abidjanais et le Abidjan Basket Club attirent une grande base de fans et contribuent à la promotion de ce sport dynamique dans le pays.
Autres sports émergents: Outre le football et le basket-ball, d'autres sports commencent à gagner en popularité en Côte d'Ivoire. Le rugby, par exemple, a connu une progression notable ces dernières années, avec la formation d'une ligue nationale et la participation régulière de l'équipe nationale aux tournois régionaux. Les arts martiaux, notamment le judo et le karaté, sont également pratiqués et enseignés dans tout le pays, offrant aux jeunes Ivoiriens une opportunité de s'engager dans des activités physiques et compétitives.
Le soutien gouvernemental et l'infrastructure sportive: Le gouvernement ivoirien reconnaît l'importance du sport dans le développement social et économique du pays. Des investissements sont réalisés pour améliorer les infrastructures sportives, notamment la construction de stades et de complexes sportifs modernes. Ces installations permettent aux athlètes de s'entraîner dans des conditions optimales et d'accueillir des compétitions de haut niveau.
Les réussites des athlètes ivoiriens: La Côte d'Ivoire a produit de nombreux athlètes talentueux qui ont porté fièrement les couleurs du pays sur la scène internationale. Des footballeurs tels que Didier Drogba, Yaya Touré et Gervinho, ainsi que des athlètes olympiques comme Marie-Josée Ta Lou et Cheick Sallah Cissé, ont suscité l'admiration et l'inspiration à travers le pays. Leurs exploits sportifs ont contribué à promouvoir l'image de la Côte d'Ivoire à l'échelle mondiale.
En conclusion, le sport en Côte d'Ivoire transcende les barrières sociales et rassemble les Ivoiriens autour d'une passion commune. Du football électrisant aux exploits du basket-ball, en passant par les succès des athlètes ivoiriens sur la scène mondiale, le sport joue un rôle essentiel dans la culture et l'identité de la nation. Avec un soutien gouvernemental croissant et une infrastructure sportive en développement, la Côte d'Ivoire est prête à continuer à briller sur les terrains et à inspirer les générations futures d'athlètes.
Didier Drogba joins Galatasaray
Galatasaray have reached a deal to sign former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.
The Turkish club confirmed on their website that Drogba had agreed an 18-month deal.
The 34-year-old is currently on international duty for Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Drogba – via his representatives, Sports PR Company, on Twitter – said: « I am looking forward to playing in the Champions League again. »
Galatasaray are through to the last 16 of the competition, where they face German side FC Schalke 04.
« The opportunity to play for this great club was an offer that I could not turn down, » added Drogba.
His representatives said he would join up with the Turkish side once the Africa Cup of Nations was over.
Didier Drogba will turn down a sensational approach to return to Chelsea and sign an 18-month contract with Galatasaray.
Sportsmail can reveal that Roman Abramovich gave the go-ahead last week to offer Drogba a deal until the end of the season, with an option for a further year.
Incredibly the talks were so far advanced that Chelsea were convinced that the man who delivered the European Cup last season was on the brink of signing before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
It also appears that after unexpectedly re-signing Ashley Cole on a one-year deal last week, Chelsea are embarking on a major charm offensive towards their supporters.
They were furious with Rafa Benitez yesterday as they drew 2-2 in the FA Cup at League One side Brentford at Griffin Park and chanted: ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’.
Terms on the deal had been offered to Drogba — who joined Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in May — and there was a huge emotional pull to return to Stamford Bridge.
He won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and his Chelsea career ended with that glorious finale against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena in May last year.
Chelsea offered him a year’s extension on reduced terms at the time, but Drogba, 34, decided to quit after lifting the Champions League.
Chelsea have been struggling without him this season and Fernando Torres, who scored yesterday, is still struggling for form.
Drogba, whose family still live in Surrey and whose children attend Chelsea’s academy, has been training with his old team-mates ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations and they initially began teasing him that he wanted to return.
Kolo Toure : Ivory Coast ready to win Africa Cup of Nations
In his first column for BBC Sport, Manchester City defender Kolo Toure explains why his Ivory Coast team need to win this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Toure, who will be writing regularly throughout the tournament, also discusses the Elephants’ perfect preparations and the pain of last year’s defeat in the final.
It’s time for the talking to stop. Now is the time for Ivory Coast to show that we are ready to win the Africa Cup of Nations.
This generation of Ivory Coast players really wants to win something. Our squad has players who have won Champions League finals, have played in World Cups and won league titles in lots of different countries, but we have not won this title.
We badly want to go one step further this year, if it is Allah’s wish, after falling just short last January against Zambia.
After making it to the final in 2012, we had an amazing chance to win the tournament. You just never know when opportunities like that will come around again.
However, in that game, we didn’t take advantage of the chances that we had. After extra-time finished 0-0, we knew it would be a risk going to penalties. And so it proved.
This time around, it will be an even harder challenge. We have a tough group and we have to play – and get positive results – against Togo, Tunisia and Algeria.
The whole of the Ivory Coast nation will be behind us, though. We know what this tournament – and winning it – represents to the people back home, watching on TV and those who will make the long journey to see us in South Africa.
They remember the team that won this tournament in 1992. It would mean so much, to the nation and to everyone on this team, to repeat their achievement.
If we go all the way this year, then no one will think of us as the team that failed when it mattered. They will simply think of us as winners.
Sabri Lamouchi, our coach, knows what he wants. Our pre-tournament training camp in Abu Dhabi was great. The players in our squad are based around the world – Didier Drogba, of course, is in China while others are in Turkey, Russia, Spain and England. So we really value the time to train together.
We’ve concentrated a lot on our attacking and defensive shape. We know we’ll need some luck – you always do in a tournament – but our preparations have been ideal.
Our training facilities are excellent, too. We flew to South Africa from the Middle East last week and are based in Rustenburg. Our group games are at the same stadium where England played the USA during the 2010 World Cup.
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kolo touréDidier Drogba would be very welcome at Milan says Massimiliano Allegri
The Milan head coach, Massimiliano Allegri, would gladly welcome Didier Drogba into his first team should the Rossoneri win the race for the Ivory Coast striker.
Reports in Italy have suggested the former Chelsea forward, 34, is ready to terminate his contract with Shanghai Shenhua after only seven months and return to Europe as soon as possible.
Juventus are also interested in the Champions League-winning striker, who is reportedly asking for €10m (£8.4m) for an 18-month contract in Italy – €4m for the rest of the current season and another €6m before June 2014.
Milan, meanwhile, have reached a financial impasse over a potential long-term loan deal for the Real Madrid midfielder Kaká, with Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli out of their price range at a reported fee of €28m.
« Champions of his [Drogba] calibre are very welcome, » said Allegri. « [Vice-president Adriano] Galliani will know if the deal is feasible.
« I’m calm, the club is just thinking about what could help us out and what we could do about it.
« A player like Drogba would certainly improve both the technical level and self-esteem of the team. We’ll see what the club are able to do, otherwise we’ll carry on as we are, looking to have a good second half of the season because that is our objective.
Guy Demel signs new contract at West Ham until 2015
GUY DEMEL has signed a new contract at West Ham until 2015.
The Ivory Coast full-back, 31, joined on an initial two-year deal from Hamburg in August 2011.
Demel will celebrate putting pen to paper by taking on former club Arsenal tonight.
He said: “It’s really good for me and I’m really happy to have a new deal with West Ham.
“I’ve had a good year this season, and even last year was good, despite the fact that I was injured for so long and struggled a bit.
“I’m happy to be at West Ham and in the team. The lads are really good with me as are the people working for the club. I hope I will stay that long to play in the new stadium as well.
“Last year was kind of difficult because when I signed, I had pre-season, and then unfortunately I got injured really quickly and it was hard to come back afterwards.
“But right now I feel good. I had a pre-season, we worked hard and I have to thank the medical staff for the job they have done with me.
“I feel good and I’m quite happy with what I’m doing right now, but I know that I can do even more.”
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4759193/Guy-Demel-signs-new-contract-at-West-Ham.html#ixzz2Io5uJFVn
Ivory Coast Ugliest player? That’s Gervinho!
AT least Gervinho will win one award this season after he was voted the Ivory Coast’s ‘ugliest’ player by his national team-mates.
The Arsenal flop also took home the worst haircut gong as a group including Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and Salomon Kalou were quizzed about their compatriots.
Gervinho is currently on African Nations Cup duty with the Elephants and grabbed the winning goal in his country’s 2-1 win over Togo in their opening group game.
But despite his heroics, Drogba and Co still pointed to the Gunners winger when asked who had the worst hair style in the team.
The group also mockingly mooted Gervinho when the topic of best-looking team-member cropped up.
However, the former Lille man can take comfort in being awarded the speediest member of the squad.
Man City ace Yaya Toure was awarded the laziest player, while former Tottenham hardman Didier Zokora was surprisingly labelled the most skilful.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4759163/Gervinho-ugliest-Ivory-Coast-player-video.html#ixzz2Io0Sr3wt