Elephants may not go to World Cup

ABIDJAN – The Ivory Coast may not go to the World Cup finals in June if there is still no peace in the war-torn country, the president of the Ivorian Football Federation warned yesterday.

Jacques Anouma said that he had hoped the success of the football team by qualifying for their first ever World Cup finals and reaching the African Nations Cup final earlier this month would bring the north and the south of the country together. The country has effectively been split in two since 2002 with rebels holding the north and the government the south, though, there have been moments when the success of the ‘Elephants’ has apparently brought some calm to the situation.”We hoped that each victory for the Elephants would bring the Ivorians back together for good,” said Anouma.”Unfortunately we see nothing of the kind on the horizon.”We ask all the protagonists to put down their arms and talk peace, what cause does it serve to go to the World Cup without peace in our country.Without peace there is no glory.”The Ivory Coast team – who lost on penalties to Egypt in the African Nations Cup final – see themselves as a unifying force and after qualifying for the World Cup finals last year their first act was to be led in a prayer of peace by captain Didier Drogba.-Nampa-AFPThe country has effectively been split in two since 2002 with rebels holding the north and the government the south, though, there have been moments when the success of the ‘Elephants’ has apparently brought some calm to the situation.”We hoped that each victory for the Elephants would bring the Ivorians back together for good,” said Anouma.”Unfortunately we see nothing of the kind on the horizon.”We ask all the protagonists to put down their arms and talk peace, what cause does it serve to go to the World Cup without peace in our country.Without peace there is no glory.”The Ivory Coast team – who lost on penalties to Egypt in the African Nations Cup final – see themselves as a unifying force and after qualifying for the World Cup finals last year their first act was to be led in a prayer of peace by captain Didier Drogba.-Nampa-AFP