0:00

Hello and welcome to this podcast

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from the BBC World Service. Please

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supported by advertising. World

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football from Ivory Coast. Welcome

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to the show. Hello from me, John

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Bennet. As we preview the Africa Cup

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of Nations final Ivory Coast against Nigeria

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and we have a very special guest

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today to give us an expert insight.

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An Arsenal Invincible who also won the

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Premier League with Manchester City and played

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for Liverpool as well as that though.

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120 caps in 15 years playing for Ivory Coast and

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an Afghan winner in 2015.

0:48

It is Kolo Torre. Hi

0:52

Kolo, thanks so much for joining us on

0:54

World Football at Afghan. Hi,

0:57

my pleasure to be here. Absolutely.

1:01

You must be an excited man. How

1:03

excited are you about your nation being

1:05

in the final at an Afghan but

1:07

not just any Afghan, an Afghan in

1:09

Ivory Coast? You

1:12

know what, it's been

1:14

a fantastic organisation. The

1:17

Ivory Coast fans are

1:20

unbelievable. You can

1:23

see all the country is

1:27

passionate about that African

1:29

nation. Like I said, the organisation

1:35

is brilliant. The football that

1:38

plays is unbelievable. The pitches are great.

1:41

We saw some unbelievable football matches

1:44

and obviously

1:46

Ivory Coast is in

1:48

the final with

1:51

Nigeria. What a game. And

1:53

what a revenge for Ivory

1:56

Coast. I'm looking forward to it definitely.

2:00

Yeah, I'm talking to you from Abidjan

2:02

and I've witnessed how passionate

2:04

the fans are. I want to ask you about the fans

2:06

a bit later on, but what have you made of this

2:08

crazy ride that Ivory Coast have had to the

2:10

final? So they had the luck to get through

2:12

to the last 16, then they

2:14

had a late equaliser and penalties

2:17

to beat Senegal, and even later equaliser with

2:19

10 men against Mali, and then a winner

2:21

in the 122nd minute in the quarterfinal. And

2:25

then finally a comfortable win over Diyakongo.

2:27

It's been a roller coaster, hasn't it,

2:29

for Ivory Coast? It's

2:31

been, let's say, it's been crazy.

2:34

It's been crazy because when we won

2:36

the first game, everybody was confident

2:40

that we were going to do a great

2:42

tournament. And then we ended

2:44

up playing against Nigeria, a

2:46

very good side. And that game was tough

2:49

for us. We lost it, and

2:51

then we went and played against

2:53

the Guinea-Cotona team. And after that,

2:55

the country was down. That

2:57

loss was a big wake-up call

2:59

for the players because they saw

3:02

the fans in

3:04

the country really, really hungry. And

3:06

I think from that game, I

3:08

think the players realised how important

3:11

that tournament was for the

3:13

country. Of course, sacking

3:15

the manager was a

3:18

big turnover, I would say. And

3:20

then the new manager took over, it

3:22

made a big decision. When

3:24

you go through those moments, you feel like

3:27

this is our tournament. You feel like this is

3:29

for you. You're going to win it. What

3:32

have you made of the whole managerial situation,

3:34

Kolo? Because your old teammate, I was speaking

3:36

to Emmanuel Abouay last week, and

3:39

he told me that Ivory Coast don't

3:41

need a manager. He

3:43

said you just need someone to be

3:45

nice to the players and kind of

3:47

bring positive vibes to the group. Is

3:50

that right? What would you make of

3:52

the job that MS5, the interim boss,

3:54

has done for your country? MS5

3:56

is a great

4:00

guy. He's been

4:04

into him and since he took the team,

4:07

what he done in the team, I

4:09

have to be honest, is he has

4:11

bring some competition in the team. He

4:14

has made some big changes by

4:16

bringing Sadie Jean-Bichel and Corso

4:18

Nous at the back and

4:20

those two players were really

4:22

good against Senegal. But I

4:25

will say, tactically, in my

4:27

opinion, what MS5 has bring,

4:29

he has bring discipline in

4:31

the team because we are the

4:33

midfield with really good players. We

4:35

had Songhari, we had

4:38

KCA and we had Seiko Fofana. But

4:40

in my opinion, when I was watching

4:42

the game, I felt like those

4:45

three players were undisciplined

4:47

and it was like no

4:50

tactical discipline. And when

4:52

you play in the heart, you need

4:54

to make sure that you have players

4:56

who know their role and they are

4:59

in some of the positions of the

5:01

pitch which help them to not waste

5:03

their energy. And I believe that that

5:05

midfield was not really disciplined. With MS5,

5:08

he brings two

5:10

number six, really, you want to play with

5:12

two number six because he knows that avatars

5:15

attacking are always good but defensively, they

5:17

need a good base and

5:19

that's what MS5 has bring. And

5:21

I think what he did

5:24

bring as well, because he knows the culture

5:26

of the country, he was inside the team

5:28

and he knew the mentality

5:30

of the team. And the first thing he said

5:32

when he did the job, he spoke about discipline.

5:35

And I think the discipline was on the pitch

5:37

and outside the pitch as well. And that's what

5:39

he has bring to that

5:41

team in my opinion. Kolo, how

5:44

much do you remember about the final in 2015,

5:46

the day of the final? Not

5:48

the actual match but the morning, the afternoon?

5:50

What's it like on the day? How do

5:52

you kill time and what would be your

5:54

advice to the current team about not becoming

5:56

too nervous on the day? How do they

5:58

prepare for the final? I'm

6:02

telling you when we are in

6:04

the final like that, you know,

6:06

and the game is

6:09

in the afternoon, the day

6:11

is so long because we

6:13

are only feeling is I

6:16

want to play that game and finish and win

6:18

that tournament because at that moment,

6:21

you know, the tournament has been long, the

6:23

players are tired physically and

6:25

mentally and they can't wait

6:27

for Sunday to come for them

6:31

to play that match. On

6:33

the day, one thing they have to do

6:36

is just to stay relaxed, you know,

6:38

and I feel like, you know, in those

6:40

moments, you only want to speak to people

6:42

that you love. You only want to speak

6:44

to people that you trust. You always want

6:47

to speak to people that you feel that

6:49

they can, they want you to win that

6:51

tournament. And we

6:54

are African, most of the players believe

6:56

in God and most of them we

6:58

pray all day. That's what I've done.

7:00

I prayed, I spoke to my family,

7:03

I spoke to my wife, I spoke

7:05

to my father and to my kids and

7:07

then, and that's it really. And

7:10

I spoke to my best friend, Aula, as well,

7:12

then Dan at that time. And that's it,

7:15

you know, and I was focused waiting for

7:17

the moment to kick off

7:19

and to finish the deal. That's

7:23

a fascinating insight into what it's like,

7:26

the day of a final. I want

7:28

to get your insight now as a

7:30

defender, Kolo. Victor Osman is

7:32

the big star of the Nigeria team,

7:34

African footballer of the year. If you're

7:36

in the Ivory Coast team for

7:38

this final, how would you mark him? What's

7:40

the best way to stop Victor Osman? Wow,

7:43

and he's a

7:46

super powerful player. He

7:50

got unbelievable speed. He

7:53

has scored only one goal

7:55

so far, but what he brings

7:57

to that team is incredible. And... The

8:01

thing is, the

8:04

system that they play, they're really dangerous

8:06

on transition. Because what

8:08

Nigeria do, they go to

8:10

a 5-4-1, and then

8:13

as soon as they have the ball, the two

8:17

players, the two number 10,

8:20

go on the middle, and they

8:22

try to find them to go

8:24

for a counter-attack. And that's when

8:26

the ball

8:57

is ready for the ball to be banned,

8:59

and they just anticipate that they're

9:01

going to be banned as fast as they can.

9:24

When you found the back of the net in 2015? You

9:28

know, when you go to the

9:30

penalty, I always say, this is the only

9:32

moment in football where you feel

9:34

on your wall. You have no

9:37

support from teammates, you have no

9:39

support from fans, from parents. It's

9:41

you, the goalkeeper and the goal.

9:44

And one thing you have to do,

9:46

they have to start working on training.

9:50

They have to work on training today. Every

9:53

player has to shoot, and they have

9:55

to make sure that they pick up

9:57

a side and you go for it. Some

10:00

of the players change their mind as soon

10:02

as the goalkeeper moves, but you need to

10:04

be able to analyse the goalkeeper as well,

10:07

but at the same time work at training

10:10

on how you want to shoot your

10:12

penalty, because you don't want to be

10:14

surprised in that. And one thing that

10:16

I always say in my opinion, I

10:18

always like the strikers or the attacking

10:21

players to go for penalty first, because

10:23

those players most of the time have

10:25

the skill to do it, because

10:30

all the years they've been working

10:32

on it at training most of the time.

10:34

But you don't see that often, but that's

10:36

my opinion. Bring the most technical players, players

10:38

who have the habit to

10:40

go in front of the goalkeeper and shoot

10:42

those penalties. They have more teams to score.

10:45

This is my opinion. Yeah,

10:47

get the attackers on first, which Nigeria always

10:49

have William Tristek on taking the penalties, and

10:52

he scored two out of two, so one

10:54

centre-back's doing it, but I agree. Get the

10:56

attacking players taking the penalties first. Tolo, I

10:58

said I wanted to talk to you about

11:00

the Ivory Coast fans. I've loved watching them

11:02

in the stadiums here in Abidjan. They've

11:05

been incredible, but I've seen two sides. I

11:07

saw in the semi-final how joyous they were.

11:09

I've also seen that they can turn against

11:12

the team. I was here in 2017 at

11:14

a World Cup qualifier, which Ivory Coast

11:16

lost, and there was real anger. What

11:19

is it like to play in front of

11:21

those fans? And what would it be like

11:23

on Monday if Ivory Coast win the tournament,

11:26

because in 2015 you experienced being in Abidjan

11:28

the Monday after an Afghan carrying the trophy?

11:31

You know, these Ivory

11:34

Coast fans are unbelievable.

11:37

They love football. Football is

11:39

everything for the fans. I'm

11:42

telling you, there are people there who don't

11:45

have a meal. There are people who

11:48

don't have food, don't have... They

11:52

have nothing. Where they're

11:54

sleeping most of the time is

11:56

so good, so clean. But when

11:59

the football... Com. Or.

12:01

Those people forget all this trouble

12:03

that the up in the daily

12:05

basis and the expect the players

12:07

to give hundred and twenty hundred

12:09

and thirty under the fifty poo

12:11

since as long as you did

12:13

everything they have no problem you

12:15

few but if you miss your

12:17

one you know focus not giving

12:19

has of within. The. we be

12:21

very and moved to step up the

12:23

same as a player or what did

12:25

my i wanted my team by police

12:27

to give or everything on the beach

12:29

you can we the football matches but

12:31

as long as you rootless if into

12:33

middle and you give everything you got.

12:36

In. Your in your in your own, your body

12:38

for the team. And. I'm telling

12:40

you this Ivory Coast country is

12:42

fantastic country with people the law

12:44

for boots and love the players

12:46

and the she brought rebates Incredible

12:48

I'm telling you and if I

12:50

because we do much other I've

12:52

got what will happen. But you

12:54

could say like every of the

12:56

every week you could see out

12:58

of got to where. You. Do

13:01

A is gonna be double what up in

13:03

two thousand and fifteen. For. Sure,

13:07

As scenes on the road sought after the

13:09

semifinal driving back to have a young what

13:11

was something else Tyler Tyler to more questions

13:13

very quickly before we let you guys are

13:15

you been very generous with with your time

13:17

or I need to get a prediction for

13:19

the final but also I leave Oliver be

13:21

shown on Monday. What what suits Night before

13:23

I leave What? What's your favorite Ivorian fish.

13:25

Or. By soviet I've read this

13:27

is a ticket and at in

13:30

fossil blaze it. Is

13:32

actually gate is like cassava. A

13:34

he's almost like coup schools by is like

13:37

for my but of course. But

13:40

is really nice and you can

13:42

just tell you for a fish

13:44

buddy fees ease. Of. His.

13:47

Keys on grins you know a did you

13:49

put some too much or you put some

13:51

a old you're not eat you know some

13:53

videos were literally of or and that's really

13:56

has the the through the as be because

13:58

there's no such on it. You know,

14:00

and you can see that. As. Much as

14:02

you want and then a cigarette

14:04

or joy.definitely. I

14:08

want about the final then how's it going

14:10

to go Carlos You prediction Of course I

14:12

would it cost of course I wouldn't go

14:14

with plaguing foot of our floods rebid so

14:17

lucky so far and then are defined as.

14:19

You. Know. Up. Three allowed to be

14:21

with that game. In. The for

14:23

sure for the country for the people,

14:25

for the president's of the country. But.

14:28

An Ivory Coast when Carlo? Yeah, no

14:30

penalty shootout. A. Know.

14:33

For that the shit out. Of.

14:38

China is when it actually pleasure facilities. Thank

14:40

you so much for your time. Thank.

14:42

You very much pleasure me. And

14:45

that is as com a car like Soraya

14:47

head of the Twenty Twenty three Africa Cup

14:49

of Nations final in his country. That is

14:51

it for this edition of Well Football and

14:54

Off Council more such the World Football and

14:56

ask on on the Bbc World Service website

14:58

or Bbc Sounds. Will be back after the

15:00

final when we will finally know the Cup

15:03

of Nations. When a person out. Well

15:06

for on his A B C to

15:08

put on some from The Beatles and well.