It was dubbed the most important match in Ivory coast football history. The match was the World Cup qualifying match against Sudan, if Ivory Coast wins this match, they would qualify to the 2006 World cup in Germany. In 2002 a brutal civil war erupted in Ivory coast between ethnic factions, thousands of people lost their homes and means of livelihood to the war.
The fighting ended in 2004 but there was still animosity between both sides. Few weeks to the world cup qualifying match between Ivory coast and Sudan, fighting erupted between the various ethnic factions in Ivory coast causing chaos in the country.
Famous Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was greatly troubled by the chaos that had erupted in his home nation few weeks before a very important match. Before arriving to Ivory coast for the match he made a plea to his people to end the fighting.
He arranged with the Ivory Coast football federation to have the match played in Bouake a rebel stronghold. The match was played in Bouake has a way to unify the whole country to support the national team. Ivory Coast won the match and earned their qualification to the world cup.
