La Mara’Monde, the very first edition of the Maracana World Cup begins this Friday, September 27, until October 7 in Abidjan. Maracana is a football born in Ivory Coast with very specific rules: 6 versus 6 matches on a handball field with the obligation to score in the area.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan, with Youenn Gourlay
The opening ceremony of the Mara’monde will take place this Friday, September 27 at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan before the very first match of the Ivory Coast-Belgium competition. Sixteen countries from four continents are divided into four groups. Brazil, the United States, France, Senegal, and Burkina Faso are represented.
The first edition of the Maracana World Cup will have the particularity of having three generations playing on the field, as explained by Mahamoudou Diaby, secretary general of the Ivorian Maracana Federation and member of the Mara’Monde organizing committee. “ The three categories, juniors, seniors and super seniors, will play the competition at the same time according to a distribution which requires that there be on the field: three seniors, two juniors and one super senior. This is also for reasons of integration because we wanted it to be something more inclusive “.
Benin thinks about the trophy
Benin arrives in Ivory Coast with a lot of ambitions in this tournament. The Cheetahs start the competition this Saturday, September 28 against Jamaica and their coach, Juste Fleury Dansou, is very ambitious. “ We are very excited to discover the first edition of the Maracana World Cuphe confides into the microphone of our correspondent in Cotonou, Théphile Aza. The team prepared in better conditions. Out of 12 players, we have three junior players (16 to 34 years old), six seniors (35 and 44 years old), and three super seniors (45 years old and over). Benin being one of the flagship nations of the Maracana, it has the ambition to go as far as possible and show what we are capable of. Why not come back with the trophy.”
Three thousand five hundred people per day are expected in the stands of the main field of the Palais des Sports in Abidjan, 2,500 on the second field. Fan zones will also be installed in several communes of the Palais. Ticket prices vary from 2,000 to 10,000 CFA francs. According to the Federation, the competition is expected to cost nearly 3.6 billion CFA francs.
The final takes place on October 6. The host country, Côte d’Ivoire, nine times African champion out of ten editions, is the favorite.
The sixteen qualified countries
Group A: Ivory Coast, Gabon, Cameroon, Belgium
Group B: Benin, Guinea, France, Jamaica
Group C: Togo, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau
Group D: Mali, Canada, United States, Brazil