Former Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou says internal tensions within the Elephants squad played a major role in their defeat to Nigeria at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ivory Coast entered the tournament in South Africa as one of the favourites, boasting a squad filled with established European-based stars. However, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing 2-1 to Nigeria.
The Super Eagles secured victory through goals from Emmanuel Emenike and Sunday Mba, a result that helped propel Nigeria towards their third continental title.
Kalou. Photo Credit: Imago
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast hosted by former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel, Kalou suggested that unity within the Ivorian camp was a major problem during the tournament.
“I think that sometimes because we have so many talented players playing for great clubs, nobody wants to accept being left out,” Kalou said.
According to the former Chelsea forward, players who were unhappy about being left out of the starting line-up struggled to fully support the team.
“If you’re left out, you probably don’t want the team to win. So you will not give your all. This also affected us a lot in many tournaments.”
Photo Credit: Supersport/X
Kalou added that the team’s biggest challenge was often internal rather than the opposition.
“It was not the team we were playing against; it was us ourselves. How to manage ourselves. It was not acceptable for people to be on the bench. This was the issue with our team at that moment.”
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Kalou also credited Nigeria’s squad for their unity and discipline during the tournament.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
He said that although the Super Eagles also had strong personalities in the dressing room, players understood their roles within the team.
“The difference is, you guys have the same ego we know Nigerians but in that team of yours, everybody knew their position. So you wouldn’t complain if you were on the bench.”
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Nigeria went on to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Burkina Faso in the final to claim their third continental title.
