In a tightly contested match on Thursday evening, January 18, 2024, the Ivorian national team fell to the Super Eagles of Nigeria with a final score of 1-0. This loss quickly set social media abuzz, eliciting numerous reactions from netizens. The day after the match, A’Salfo, the lead singer of the Zouglou group Magic System, shared his thoughts on the team’s performance with a post on his Facebook page, on January 19, 2024.
“Now if you listen to the anthem (for the AFCON Ivory Coast 2023: editor’s note) and you don’t hear Yemi Alade’s voice anymore, don’t be surprised eh. Ivorians don’t like nonsense,” he wrote, accompanied by an angry emoji.
It is worth noting, the Ivorian collective Magic System, the talented Nigerian singer Yemi Alade, and Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan are the co-authors and performers of the official anthem “Akwaba.”
As a reminder, the Ivory Coast still has the opportunity to qualify for the round of 16. Even if they fail to maintain the top spot in Group A, a victory in their next match on Monday against the Equatorial Guinean team would ensure their progression in the competition.
