Stielike Takes Leave

Ivory Coast coach Uli Stielike has left the team, the day before their departure for training camp in Kuwait, due to his son’s condition. It seems the news of his son’s coma was rather sudden and his return to the technical area is fully dependent on his son’s condition. Frenchmen Gerard Gili, current Coach of the Ivory Coast U23 squad, will be taking over coaching duties for the German, and has said that Uli’s plans will remain in effect and he will only act as an overseer. Gili is a rather successful coach who has been on the sideline of Olympique Marseille, and has familiarized himself with many of his players and a formidable substitute by any standard.

Losing Uli is a tough blow for the Elephants as they have been experiencing some solidarity and team unity, as described by Didier Zokora. Stielike is a big proponent of African football and large believer of how capable African countries can and will be. I one point he even claimed he would put his “head to the block” if an African team was not in the semifinal of the 2010 World Cup.

Upon taking over in October of 2006 Uli lead the IC to a breezy qualifying run and six straight victories. It was helpful that he inherited a team littered with European talent such as: Drogba, Kalou, Toure’s, Zokora, & Eboue. He also inherited a team as closely knit as a family despite their religious differences. Even though the team is almost split directly down the middle in terms of Catholics and Muslims they still pray to the same God and don’t fear a little “voodoo” on their side either.

The loss of Uli, coupled with the potential loss of Drogba, will either prove to be a further unifying catalyst, as this team has experienced in the past, or it will prove to be a loss to difficult to overcome. This could be the end before the start, but the more I familiarize myself with this team, the more I feel that they can survive without Drogba or in fact even their coach, their unity and talent seems capable of good things.