Gervinho
AFCON 2025 kicks off in less than a month. Gervinho, an Ivorian football legend, reveals the strengths Ivory Coast holds to defend their crown in Morocco.
After their home triumph in January 2024, the Elephants of Ivory Coast are dreaming of conquering Africa once again. And Gervinho shares that belief. In an interview with the CAF media team, the former Elephants winger believes Ivory Coast has the individual talent needed to get the job done.
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“First, there are the individual qualities. In Ivory Coast, we’ve always had players capable of making a difference on their own, talents who naturally stand out,” Gervinho said. He added: “But the most important asset is the collective. We saw it at the last AFCON: when the team spirit took over, everything fell into place. The individuals put themselves at the service of the group, and that’s how the team moved forward. I also sensed incredible motivation. Even when outnumbered, some players transcended themselves for the country. That left the biggest impression on me.”
As a reminder, at AFCON 2025, Ivory Coast shares a group with Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique. The Elephants know the Indomitable Lions well, and they recently faced Gabon in World Cup qualifiers. Gervais Yao Kouassi admits the task won’t be easy for his nation: “In Africa, every group is tough. We grew up with this reality. We know each other, we know the playing styles, we know nothing is easy. The most important thing is to get through the group stage. With the quality of this squad, I sincerely think they have everything it takes to make it. And, the big matches always bring extra motivation. The young players love these occasions—it’s games like these that make great players.”