Sira Kessié, the wife of footballer Franck Kessié, recently shared her thoughts on the tense atmosphere at the Palmiers Hotel following Ivory Coast’s unexpected defeat to Equatorial Guinea in the group stage of the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations (CAN).
The CAN 2023 edition concluded on February 11, 2024, with the Elephants triumphing on their home soil for the third time. Franck Kessié, who plays for Al-Ahli FC in Saudi Arabia, and his team managed to bounce back thanks to the rule that allowed the best third-placed team to advance to the next round of the competition.
However, before their eventual victory, the Ivory Coast Elephants suffered a loss to Equatorial Guinea in the group stages. This defeat disappointed Ivorian supporters and put pressure on the players and staff, including coach Jean-Louis Gasset before his departure from the national team. In a video, Sira Kessié reveals the tension that prevailed in the hotel as she tried to support her husband during these challenging times.
“I was reflecting on what to say to him, I couldn’t find the right words. After the defeat, we feel weak. I call him and he asks if we got home safely. We did not immediately talk about the loss. Once at home, I call him back. He’s in his room with his teammates. He’s not doing well, none of them are. There’s a deathly silence in the room so I hang up. When people have harsh words for my husband, I tell myself it’s a sport of emotions. Football is a sport of emotions,” she recounts.
“Today, they insult you with all sorts of names and tomorrow when everything is fine, you’re the best. So, I don’t take it to heart; I try to understand the distress of the Ivorians. And Franck, he’s in the same state of mind; they feel the responsibility to give it their all, and they wanted to give everything, but after that, it’s football. I don’t know what’s going to happen, I hope we’ll get through. And if we do, I’ll be the happiest actually. Because we all saw the Ivorians, they were very, very upset. It was as if we lost the final of the CAN that day. All I wish for is for the players to be able to bring a smile back to the people,” she added.
