Ivory Coast won the 2024 African Cup of Nations on Sunday evening, organized at home.
A success in which former Lensois Seko Fofana (2020-2023) and Serge Aurier (trained at the club and in the first team from 2009 to 2012) participated.
At a press conference, the day before their Europa League play-off against Friborg (Thursday February 15, 9 p.m.), Franck Haise and Brice Samba spoke about the latter.
“I am very happy for Seko, who was one of our leaders, our captain before Brice (Samba), declared Franck Haise.
I'm very happy that he was able to experience this.
» The RC Lens coach also mentioned Serge Aurier, “a child of the club” and “one of the emblematic players of Ivory Coast”.
“In the image of Seko”
His goalkeeper and captain, Brice Samba, was also complimentary towards his former partner Seko Fofana.
“I congratulated him.
I am in contact with him regularly, I can assure you, it is a competition that he had prepared seriously.
When we see these matches, and especially the match scenarios, it's a bit like Seko, to not give up.
It's beautiful.
I was very happy for him.
»
If Émerse Faé occupied the Ivorian bench during the victory against Nigeria on Sunday (2-1), Franck Haise has not forgotten Jean-Louis Gasset.
The French coach left the Elephants at the end of the group stage, after a heavy defeat against Equatorial Guinea (4-0).
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According to the RC Lens coach, he is not completely foreign to the Ivorian success: “He put things in place for a year and a half for that.
He obviously has a part in this victory.
I was happy for all these people, even if he had to experience it a little differently.
»