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During the American broadcast of the Côte d’Ivoire versus Ecuador match, the commentators waxed lyrical on Yan Diomande’s footballing background, specifically focusing on his journey in the United States.

And rightfully so.

It’s a big compliment to the US soccer academies and their ability to develop a talent like Diomande. The Africanist in me, however, thought about the academies the rest of the squad came from, and how many actually came from academies in Côte d’Ivoire. I was surprised to learn there were a lot. So let’s get into it. 

Côte d’Ivoire World Cup Squad and their Academies

Player Name	Academies
Yahia Fofana	Espérance Paris 19ème, Red Star FC, Le Havre AC
Guéla Doué	Stade Rennais
Wilfried Singo	AS Denguélé , RCDE International Academy
Emmanuel Agbadou	San Pédro
Ghislain Konan	ASEC Mimosas
Yan Diomande	Afi Si Komoe, Yulee Hornets, DME Academy
Seko Fofana	Paris FC, FC Lorient, Manchester City
Franck Kessié	Stella Club
Bazoumana Touré	ASEC Mimosas
Nicolas Pépé	FC Solitaires Paris, Stade Poitevin
Elye Wahi	JS Suresnes, SM Caen, FC Montfermeil, Montpelier
Alban Lafont	EF Ouagadougou, AS Lattoise, Toulouse
Mohamed Koné	US Torcy, Le Havre
Ousmane Diomande	OS Abobo, Midtjylland
Evan Ndicka	F.C.A. Paris 19ème, Solitaires Paris-Est F.C., AJ Auxerre
Odion Kossounou	ASEC Mimosas
Christopher Operi	FO Plaisir, SM Caen
Ibrahim Sangaré	TP Koumassi, AS Denguélé
Jean Michaël Seri	Africa Sports d’Abidjan
Christ Inao Oulaï	JMG Academy Abidjan
Parfait Guiagon	Africa Sports d’Abidjan, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Simon Adingra	ABIS Sport Academy, Right to Dream Academy
Amad Diallo	Boca Barco, Atalanta BC
Evann Guessand	ASPTT Marseille, OGC Nice
Ange-Yoan Bonny	La Rochelle Villeneuve, FC Périgny, Chambray FC, Tours FC

Of the 25 players on the World Cup roster, 14 played for an African academy, and 12 were developed by an academy in Côte d’Ivoire. 

This tells me a few things:

1. Côte d’Ivoire prioritizes developing its youth in Côte d’Ivoire
   1. There appears to be a concerted effort, potentially by Côte d’Ivoire’s football governing body, FIF, to create a pathway of development for the young footballers. Although the majority of players who attended an academy in Côte d’Ivoire left for another academy in Europe, this is a testament to the academy infrastructure in Côte d’Ivoire and its ability to develop players capable of playing in top leagues abroad.
2. Multiple academies in Côte d’Ivoire are capable of producing top players
   1. There are a number of academies represented among the players on the World Cup squad, and it’s not as if one academy has a monopoly on producing world-class players. Ten different academies are represented across the country, with ASEC Mimosas, Africa Sports d’Abidjan, and AS Denguélé producing multiple players in this year’s World Cup squad. The diversification of the football academies bodes well for youth aspiring to become professional football players, as they have an abundance of choices. 

Even more youth academy options could be available for youth in Côte d’Ivoire, as the majority of the top academies that are members of the World Cup squad are located in the Southern region of the country, primarily in the capital, Abidjan. ASEC Mimosas and Africa Sports d’Abidjan have produced a lot of Les Éléphants stars, including Yaya and Kolo Touré, Gervinho, Emmanuel Eboué, Didier Drogba, Serge Dié, and Jean Michaël Seri. Both academies are based in the nation’s capital, but AS Denguélé, located in the northwest of the country, has also produced stars such as striker Seydou Doumbia. 

In due time, more academies located in the central, eastern, and western parts of the country will produce a star for Côte d’Ivoire. 

I just hope the African-based academies benefit from their former pupils’ World Cup participation. I especially hope they do receive a percentage of a player’s transfer fee. Yan Diomande’s inevitable move from RB Leipzig should produce a material amount of money for his academies. 

To understand Yan Diomande’s rise, take a look at his journey. Yes, he played for the Florida-based academies Yulee Hornets and DME. But do not forget his time in Abidjan with Afi Si Komoe before his move to the US. They have a signature role in his football development. 

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