It’s 35C in Ivory Coast, and four goats are wandering along a dirt path towards a confused FFT, as we look for our accommodation along a road that could best be described as, well, a goat track. We’re not quite sure what we expected when we booked two nights in pretty much the last available room in Korhogo, for £100 a night, but it wasn’t this.
When FFT decided to head to the Africa Cup of Nations, we fancied some adventure. Korhogo was the most remote of the five host cities, in the far north of Ivory Coast, so we made plans to travel from the country’s biggest city Abidjan and take in the mighty group-stage fixture of Tunisia vs Namibia.
We hoped to see the authentic Africa, and there was a short flight that fit our schedule, in a country where domestic air travel is sparse and infrequent. Buses appeared a risk because of a lack of online timetables – in Korhogo, there was even a hotel on Expedia at a reasonable price. Perfect.
One problem: the hotel wasn’t actually in Korhogo – it had been mislabelled and was back in Abidjan, 300 miles away. Airbnb seemed the last option, only for us to book twice and be cancelled on as prices hiked up ever further. With a rare influx of visitors to the biggest tournament this tiny city had ever hosted, locals sensed an opportunity.
A third booking was more expensive than intended but at least looked reliable, until we landed and received a WhatsApp message in French, needing Google Translate to decipher. “Agree on the minimum reservation, which is three days.” That’d be another £100, but where would we stay if we said no?
A few hours later, having trekked to our given location on that goat-laden track, we gaze around baffled, wondering which of the makeshift buildings around us could possibly be our accommodation. Well, none of them. Welcome to AFCON 2023. In 2024. Obviously.
“OK, IT’S NOT REALLY A MOUNTAIN”
Africa’s premier tournament has always been organised chaos – it’s part of its vibrantExpect the unexpected.
