Adjamé, is a town in Côte d’Ivoire which is undoubtedly a Yoruba-dominated area with people carrying out various activities similar to the ones in the South-West region of Nigeria.
Moving round the city, Adjamé could be mistaken for a Yoruba town in Nigeria as the language is spoken everywhere and local Yoruba dishes available in the town.
Various edible foods including fufu, amala and pounded yam with different soup such as okra, egusi, rice, ewa agoyin (beans) and bread are available.
Yoruba is spoken in a Mosque located in the town. The heavy presence of Yoruba in the area earned it notable the tag of Yoruba area among Ivorians especially taxi drivers.
Some residents in the community are Ivorians by birth but nonetheless want the Super Eagles to win the Africa Cup of Nations.
Peoples Gazette visited the town to speak with the residents on the chances of Nigeria at the 34th AFCON as the Super Eagles are in Côte d’Ivoire gunning for a fourth continental title.
Madam Esther, a woman in her 70s, who spoke to Peoples Gazette in Yoruba, was confident of a fourth AFCON winning for Nigeria. She expressed optimism about Nigeria returning home with the AFCON title.
She said, “I am confident about Nigeria winning the AFCON title,” she told Peoples Gazette. “As they are here in Abidjan, I am very sure they are going to triumph and make Nigeria proud. My prayer is that Nigeria winning the AFCON will bring positive changes to the country.”
Adjamé is one of the 10 urban communes of Abidjan and a hub for bus stations connecting Côte d’Ivoire to neighbouring African countries including Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and many other countries.
This might be a major factor to the Yoruba population in the area.
Another Nigerian man who spoke on condition of anonymity said he would be supporting Nigeria during the AFCON but reiterated that the players needed to show more zeal like their counterparts did when Nigeria won the title in 2013.
He told the Peoples Gazette that would be 50-year-old in the coming months. He said he moved to Côte d’Ivoire in 1994 and had become a citizen of the country, adding nonetheless he would not stop supporting Nigeria at the tournament.
“I will be supporting Nigeria to win the AFCON but the current players will need to show passion and zeal when they wear the country’s colours for them to repeat the feat of 2013. In 2013 when Nigeria won the tournament, you will see that the players were willing to fight for everything on the pitch and that is the major reason Nigeria was able to be triumphant. I arrived in this country in 1994 and I am now a citizen but I will be supporting Nigeria here,” he added.
Another resident, a middle-aged woman in hijab identified only as mummy Ayo, told Peoples Gazette that those in town would gather to offer prayers for Nigeria’s success at the AFCON.
“After morning prayers, all of us will gather to offer prayer for Nigeria’s Super Eagles to lift the AFCON,” she told Peoples Gazette in Yoruba. “That is our plan for the tournament,” she added.
Speaking to Peoples Gazette while holding a Nigerian flag, a grocery seller identified only as Olu, expressed confident that Nigeria would succeed at the tournament, saying there were many good players in the team.
“Nigeria will go far in the tournament,” he said. “We (Nigeria) have some good players and we can play very well to win the title,” Mr Olu added.
Other residents of the town who spoke to the Gazette are backing Super Eagles to go out in Côte d’Ivoire, win the trophy and bring it to Nigeria. They pledged to show solidarity at the stadium anytime Nigeria is playing.
With four points from two matches including one which was a win against hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria currently sit second in Group A. They are tied with the same points as first-placed Equatorial Guinea but trailing because of the inferior goal difference.
Nigeria will face Guinea-Bissau in their final game of the group stage while Côte d’Ivoire tango Equatorial Guinea. Both matches will be played on Monday.
