Welcome to Episode 26 of the Because Football Podcast! We welcome back Ivorian journalist Jaures Droghba to review the incredible feast of football that his country hosted.

AFCON Champions Cote D'Ivoire hosted a legendary tournament this year! Not only was it the most organized and safest tournament ever, but also one of the most dramatic!

The host Elephants just barely qualified for the knockout stages thanks to a fortunate result from their new best friends Morocco. The host country fired their head coach, Jean Louis Gasset, after their three group matches and installed assistant coach Emerse Fae as the new manager.

Coupled with their lucky advance into the knockout round and a fresh team spirit fostered by the new coach, the Elephants surged through the knockouts and eventually defeated Nigeria in the final.

For all the heroics on the field, the real story here is the up and down rollercoaster ride that the people of the Cote D'Ivoire went on!

Jaures gave us the perspective of the people and the impact the tournament made on the Ivorian community.

We thank Jaures for his time and insight!

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