Cote d’Ivoire’s Afcon victory could foster national reconciliation

Authorities in Cote d’Ivoire are fervently counting on the national team’s victory over Zambia on Sunday in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final to oil the wheels of a reconciliation process, after months of armed conflict caused 3,000 deaths in the west African nation last year, with sympathisers of former rival factions still unwilling to make peace.

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President Alassane Ouattara, who had promised to bring the trophy from Gabon to Abidjan, is being expected in Libreville on Saturday, where he will attend the final at the Stade Amitie with a strong delegation of ministers and religious leaders.

The Elephants coach Francois Zahoui has reiterated that one of his objectives for the tournament is to reconcile Ivorians with an exciting performance, which he expects to be complete if his team wins the title.

The government is leaving no stone unturned to see its team succeed on Sunday. Besides sending more supporters to Libreville, all the living members of the Ivorian team that won the Senegal 1992 Afcon have been asked to board a special flight for the Gabonese capital.

They will serve as a source of inspiration to the present team, an official told Goal.com on Saturday.

Ivorians from all works of life, tribes and political backgrounds sang and danced together on Wednesday after their team qualified to the final and the government is keen on seeing more of such togetherness on Sunday evening.