The incredible story of the young Comoros football team, whose first Africa Cup of Nations starts this Sunday, January 9, begins a little over 15 years ago. More than 7,000 kilometers from the archipelago, at the Fontainieu complex located in the northern districts of Marseille, the technical coordinator Salah Adrami hires a team of young people of Comorian origin to participate in an inter-district football tournament.
Defender Kassim Abdallah recalls: “He found a captain from each community in Marseille, that is to say from Algeria, Tunisia … and as in Marseille, there is a large Comorian community, he set up the ” Team Comoros “.
A few years later, in 2014, the dream became reality for “Team Comoros”. Finally recognized by Fifa, it can rub shoulders with the greatest. The new coach, Amir Abdou, at the time had to tinker to compose a team: “It took two days to build it. I managed to bring together 25 players. Some came from CFA 2, the French National 3 championship, others from Ligue 2, and a few played abroad. ‘story, it started there “, he recalls.
If the first attempts were sometimes chaotic, the men ofAmir Abdou make spectacular progress over the years. Until the day of glory, March 25, 2021. After five consecutive failures, the “Coelacanths “ of the Comoros eliminate Togo from Claude Le Roy, and qualify for the first time in their history for the Africa Cup of Nations. On this day, the young lateral Said Bakari is not about to forget it: “After the final whistle, it was an explosion all over the country. has been the consecration of all that may have happened. I think it feels good for the country, for all Comorians. It does not have a price.”
“It’s a sick journey”
Salim Ben Boinato franceinfo
On the eve of the opening of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, this Sunday, January 9, Salim Ben Boina, used to keeping the cages of theSports Union Marseille Endoume Catalans in National 3, measures the distance traveled, from the northern districts of Marseille to the most prestigious of continental competitions. “We started from Fontainieu, a land that is our own, in our neighborhoods, and today, we are in front of 30, 40,000 people. It’s real”, rejoices the Franco-Comorian goalkeeper.
The Comoros will first face Gabon, this Monday January 10 at 8 p.m. The 24 best teams from the African continent will compete for a month, until February 6.