Ivorian football mourning day. On Saturday 21 November, Augustin Sidy Diallo was removed at the age of 61. He was infected with Covid-19. Big football figures, shocked by this brutal disappearance, praise the leader. It was during his presidency that the elephants won the CAN again in 2015, after 23 years of famine.
The coronavirus pandemic has kidnapped a new high-profile leader from the African continent. After Pape Diouf, child of Senegal and emblematic president of the Olympique de Marseille 2005 to 2009, abducted in late March at age 68, also leaves Augustin Sidy Diallo. The president of the Ivorian Football Federation was assassinated on November 21. He was 61 years old.
President during the elephants’ return to the 2015 Africa Summit
Tested positive for Covid-19 on November 9, according to a press release from the federation, the Ivorian leader found himself confined and was medically taken into care. He was apparently not present with the elephants during their double confrontation against Madagascar as part of the qualifier CAN 2021 (2-1 November 12 in Abidjan, 1-1 November 17 in Toamasina). The recent worsening of his condition led to him being hospitalized. An action that unfortunately was not enough to save him.
Arriving at the Presidency in 2011 to succeed Jacques Anouma, Sidy Diallo was present when Côte d’Ivoire finally ruled Africa in 2015 with this African Cup won in Equatorial Guinea. Patrice Beaumelle was one of the assistants for the coach at that time, Hervé Renard. He had a front row seat to watch the Elephants lift this trophy, which they have been hunting since 1992.
Patrice Beaumelle, who was recently installed as a coach, joined RFI and expressed all her concern: “My first thoughts and prayers go to his wife, his family, his children, his friends, his relatives, his brothers. I went back … It’s unexpected, too early, unfair. It is a very complicated year to go through 2020. ”
The Ivorian, African and world football family have just lost one of his sons. Thank you for any president, very few will understand but rest in peace. My most sincere condolences to the family?? pic.twitter.com/56JiWK6Qxn
– Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) November 21, 2020 Drogba: “Thank you for everything, President”
The technician paints a glowing portrait of the leader: “He was a real enthusiast, a great man, a great president. He has done very well for Ivorian and African football. “Patrice Beaumelle wants to greet a man” with a big heart, fair, upright and loyal “.” He will stay in my heart. I will really miss him, “he adds.
Not a candidate for a new mandate as FIF leader, but still in charge while waiting for the thorny issue of his legacy to be resolved, Augustin Sidy Diallo also received a strong tribute from Didier Drogba.
The former striker, a candidate for the presidency, writes on social networks: “The Ivorian, African and world football family have just lost one of their sons. Thank you for any president, very few will understand, but rest in peace. ”
