US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday he saw a bright football future for Ivory Coast despite seeing the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations suffer a crushing defeat.
The football-loving, French-speaking top US diplomat watched a critical match Monday night in Abidjan between the hosts and Equatorial Guinea, joining Ivory Coast’s political top brass in a VIP box.
His arrival near half-time was not auspicious, with Ivory Coast giving up repeated goals to lose 4-0, leaving the team facing a group-stage exit from the competition.
Meeting Tuesday with President Alassane Ouattara, Blinken nonetheless was full of praise for “the Elephants”.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) and President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara (R) shake hands after they delivered remarks following their meeting at the Residence of President in Abidjan on January 23, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / POOL / AFP)
“Someone once said that football is life. There are ups and there are downs,” he said.
“But for my part, I saw a young team with enormous talent,” he said.
“I know we’re going to see them at the continental or international level in the coming years,” he said in French, to cheers from the president’s staff.
Blinken is touring Africa to show US soft power as Russia and China make inroads and some Africans criticise the US role on Ukraine and the Middle East.
The gleaming 60,000-seat stadium attended by Blinken — named for Ouattara — was built with funding from China.
AFP