AFCON of stars: Franck Kessié, the weight of experience

September 6, 2014 marks the beginning of an adventure that could have gone unnoticed. A start in central defense, a victory (2-1) against Sierra Leone and an untouched talent. But this first match already contained what will shape his identity. Eleven years later, 93 caps, 14 goals and four AFCON editions have transformed Kessié. The former player of Milan and Barça has become an executive that the team cannot do without.

A status forged by performance and confirmed by the armband

Franck Kessié is today the most-capped active player of the team, and the one who has the most appearances and the most CAN games in the Elephants' squad. It does not only represent experience; it is proof of it.

This leadership took on a new dimension during the AFCON won at home in 2024. His goal in the final against Nigeria (2-1) while his team was down on the score, symbolizes the weight of his influence in important moments, when the noose tightens and lucidity becomes a rare quality.

The strong and public support of the coach

Emerse Faé makes no secret of it. On Canal+, the coach proclaimed his love for his milieu: the man, the player, the captain. 

"Since the match against Senegal (last AFCON’s round of 16, Editor’s note), he has been for me the perfect captain, both on and off the field,"

 he confided, before regretting that Kessié’s name was missing from the list of ten finalists at the CAF Awards.

“For me, it’s a lack of respect towards him and towards the Ivory Coast. He had a very good season, with a victory in the Champions League and an important role in his team, and he continues to play at a very good level even after his departure to Saudi Arabia.” 

Kessié is not simply an experienced player, he is the emotional and competitive barometer of the Elephants.

Morocco 2025, the time to confirm

In a group F raised with Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique, Côte d'Ivoire will no longer advance hidden by miraculous scenarios. To defend a continental title, it will require mastery, memory, and mind. Kessié knows what this requires. Carry again, guide again, reassure again. And if needed, strike again.