Given the size of the Comoros and the history of football, it is difficult to overstate the achievement of qualification for Africa’s biennial football tournament.
The dream of reaching the AFCON Finals became a reality in March 2021 after a typically difficult 0–0 draw against Togo, but the Comoros’ unexpected success story can be traced back to 2014 when head coach Amir Abdu took over the Vision. He took a new post with him. Team.
In light of the Comoros’ limited football infrastructure, Abdu chose to rely on the country’s diaspora, particularly in France, to find the best set of players. Speaking to CNN Sport, Abdu admitted that it was not an easy process as many players born and raised in Europe were unsure about the prospect of competing for the Comoros.
“When you are a small country proposing a project to these players, it is very difficult to tell them that I want to come to Comoros when we don’t know what we can offer in terms of security,” he said. Huh.” can do.”
Abdu took a clear approach to the persuasion process and interviewed players to build meaningful relationships with them: “We interacted with all our national players, which was very important to convince them and build mutual trust between us.”
start of journey
One of the players convinced by Abdu’s project is Comoros midfielder Fouad Bachirou, 31, who currently plays for FC Omonia in Cyprus. Bachirou joined the team for the first time in 2014 and credits the manager with creating a competitive environment that was equally attractive to him and his teammates.
“2014 was when everything changed – when Amir took the place and decided to look around the world for players,” he told CNN, “and the whole national team, the whole federation to create more organizations around the world and To try to make.” It had a big impact on most players when they came. ,
Abdu is eager to take that praise back to his players, whom he refers to as “true patriots” because the love he has for his country goes beyond football.
That patriotic spirit is confirmed by the sentiments of many players when they look back on the otherwise smooth standoff with Togo in March 2021. Bachiro considered it “the best moment of his career in football”, while his teammate and compatriot Bakri, who plays for RC Waalwijk in the Dutch Eredivisie, referred to the end of the match as a “really beautiful moment”. ,
Abdu and his players are not the only ones who enjoyed the team’s qualifying success. The team has long had a strong following on the islands, and a change in fortunes in recent years has turned that sentiment into full fanaticism.
“When the team comes to Comoros [for matches]Abdu said, “The country stops 15 days ago. The country stops, and the people live through the team.
“It’s a joy, not just a joy but a blast – like we’ve won the World Cup or the Champions League. It’s amazing. It’s utterly insane and it’s hard to describe.”
Bakri couldn’t hide his smile while talking to CNN about scenes in the archipelago shortly after the result against Togo. “All I can tell you is that it was crazy. Everyone went crazy,” he said.
Bachirou supported this notion. “Every game we’ve played before, it always felt like a celebration, no matter what the outcome,” he said, “but this qualification took it to another level. It felt like people were celebrating for days, weeks. are.” Were
“We are a small country, a poor country, so to bring a smile to the people, was a feeling that we are really proud of.”
‘We have to believe in ourselves’
The AFCON group stage draw was certainly not easy for the Comoros, who are in Group C along with continental mainstays Ghana, Morocco and Gabon. les coelacanthesThe campaign will begin on January 10 against Gabon in Yaonde, Cameroon.
Abdul and his players are certainly not afraid of the challenges ahead. The team is preparing at training camp in Saudi Arabia, and the coach was keen to emphasize that his team is comfortable in the face of such stiff opposition and, in fact, with more freedom than their counterparts. . can play.
“These are the teams we know. Playing against teams like these makes us feel even better and playing against these teams is what drives us to go out there and get results.” Huh.
“We have to believe in ourselves – the pressure will not be on us, it will be on other teams from the big countries.”
The players feel that their close bond and European influence have contributed to their success and hope that this can reasonably continue in the competition.
Bakri described the relationship between teammates as “like brothers”, while Bachirou noted that “we are all born and raised in Europe, and we can bring that tactical experience – in this way.” We can make a difficult decision.” A team was formed. ,
It is difficult to predict the success of a team like Comoros in their first major tournament.
Players focus on embracing the lack of pressure and enjoying the tournament, while not forgetting the competitive mindset that has served them so effectively in the qualification process.
“It is a dream for us. It is a dream for me to represent my country in a tournament like this,” said Bakri. “You play against the best players in Africa, against the best in the world. As I do That said, we’re not afraid, and we’re trying to get as far away as possible.”
“We’re competitive, so we want to win games,” Bachirou said. “We had to believe in order to qualify and be here that we can win games and be competitive and want to win, so we keep going and have the mindset of trying to win as many games as possible. Huh.”
Bachirou’s ideas then returned to the possible scale of celebrations on the islands, if results began to emerge. coelacanthes,
“If this competition is to be a success, to be honest, I’m quite scared for the Comoros. I’m not sure the islands will be able to hold on to the people. It would be incredible, it would be wonderful.”