The 34th Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Côte d'Ivoire this Saturday, January 13. The Ivorians are aiming to repeat their performance of 2105, when they won their second star. That year, goalkeeper Copa Barry was decisive, scoring the winning penalty in a 9-8 shoot-out victory over Ghana in the final, after a 0-0 draw at the end of regulation time and extra time. Yet the keeper did everything in his power not to take the shot, even faking cramps. We tell you all about it.
Fear of success
Sometimes fear can play tricks on us, to the point where we fear succeeding. This happened to Copa Barry in the middle of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final. With the score tied at 8-all, the Elephants' goalkeeper saved his Ghanaian counterpart's penalty. That leaves him as the only shooter left. If he succeeds, Côte d'Ivoire will be crowned champions for the 2nd time after 1992.
However, against all expectations, Copa Barry collapsed. The 36-year-old keeper blamed cramps. The dream of his life was within reach. But he was so stunned that he feigned cramps. The assistant referee at the time, Djibril Camara, was incredulous. He recounted the scene to L'Enquête, a Senegalese daily. "He said he couldn't shoot because of pain in his leg. The Ivorian captain at the time, Yaya Touré, wanted to shoot in his place, but the central judge, Papa Gassama, and I refused because it was impossible. I approached him to convince him. I said to him: "This is the second time you've played in an African Cup final. You lost the first one. Today, you're one of the oldest members of the Ivorian team. There's only one shot left for Côte d'Ivoire to win the continental trophy. You have to take responsibility for taking the penalty. If you score the winning goal, you'll be a hero back home. It will also be an opportunity for you to end your international career on a high note."
Suddenly, the cramps disappear
On the night in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, spectators and television viewers were circumspect. However, reassured by the assistant referee's words, Copa Barry stood up and took courage. Even though the whole world could see the fear on his face, the 36-year-old goalkeeper put the ball in the back of the net...and set off the greatest sprint of his life, despite the pseudo-cramps. "When he scored the winning goal, he sprinted as his teammates chased him. I said to myself that an injured man couldn't sprint like that. He wanted to make things difficult for us, and I had the intelligence not to fall into his trap".
What makes this story even crazier is that Copa Barry shouldn't have played in the final. He benefited from the injury sustained the day before by the incumbent Sylvain Gbohouo.What's more, he might not have been selected for the AFCON. Indeed, coach Hervé Renard had called him to inform him that he would be number 2, leaving him the choice of either accepting this status or not making the trip.In the end, reason prevailed over ego. And on the evening of his 86th and final cap, he was to enjoy the most memorable evening of his soccer career. To think that a false cramps could have ruined everything.
° Légende du Football ⚽ Africain 🦁 °
8 février 2015 à Bata 🇬🇶 : Au terme d'une séance de tirs au but épique, Copa Barry offrait à la Côte d'Ivoire 🇨🇮 la 2ème CAN de son histoire 🌟🌟, c'était il y a 6 ans jour pour jour ! pic.twitter.com/MSUEYCF7ST
— 👨🏿🚀 Ꮥ.Ꮶ. ➏ 🚀 (@SKR_250) February 8, 2021
