‘Beat Ghana and pocket $2000 each’

Cote D’Ivoire football federation has promised players of the local national team $2000 each if they overcome Ghana on Friday in the return leg of the 2016 African Nations Championship.

Both sides faced off against each other in Kumasi on October 18 in the first leg, with the local Black Stars claiming a slim 2-1 advantage.

“We have been out of the continental scene in this competition off late. We want you to change that by overturning the 2-1 loss from the first leg and qualifying to the finals,” Cote D’Ivoire FA vice president Sory Diabate told the players at their camp in Bingerville, a suburb of Abidjan.

“Each of you will get $2000 if you defeat Ghana and eventually qualify to the tournament. You can do it. You scored a vital away goal and you could do more here on Friday,” he said.

Twenty four Ivorian players are currently fine tuning ahead of the weekend’s clash taking place at Stade Champroux in Abidjan at 15h30 GMT.

The local Black Stars are expected to touch down in Abidjan on Wednesday.

Fourteen teams have qualified to the finals, with two spots remaining, as Cote d’Ivoire take on Ghana while Congo will host Cameroon during the weekend.

The final tournament will hold in Rwanda from January 16 to February 7, 2016.