"The same people who tore their shirts buy new shirts and go back to support the same Elephants again." That one line, from Ivory Coast fan Silue Kolo, tells you everything about what it means to follow the national team.
The phrase is supporter maso — masochistic supporter — and it's become the defining label for Ivory Coast's fanbase ahead of their first World Cup appearance since 2014. Rage after a bad result. Swear off the team. Return unconditionally. Repeat.
"Once a supporter maso, always a supporter maso," says fellow fan Saphira Silue. "Whether we lose or win, we are there."
Joy, humour, and zouglou beats
What separates Ivory Coast's support culture from most isn't just the loyalty — it's the mood. Defeats get turned into jokes. The stands pulse with zouglou, a West African dance music genre born in Ivory Coast in the 1990s, played on drums or, if nothing else is available, a beer bottle. Before each tournament, local artists drop dedicated songs. At AFCON 2023, Tam Sir's Coup de Marteau was everywhere — bars, restaurants, terraces.
"When things go badly, we joke about it," Kolo says. "Whatever happens, even bad things, we turn it into humour. That's what makes us different."
The fan community also communicates through Nouchi — an Ivorian street slang blending French with local languages, originating in Abidjan's streets in the late 1970s. Originally used by gangs to dodge police, it's now a badge of national identity in the stands.
Expectations are high, and not without reason
Ivory Coast go into the 2026 World Cup with a squad that genuinely warrants optimism. Manager Emerse Fae — the man who turned around a sinking ship midway through AFCON 2023 and delivered the title — has players like Amad, Simon Adingra, Nicolas Pepe, Franck Kessie, and 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande at his disposal. In March friendlies, they beat South Korea 4-0 and Scotland 1-0.
Their World Cup record is underwhelming — three appearances (2006, 2010, 2014), zero knockout rounds, one win each time — but context matters. Two of those came in groups featuring Argentina, the Netherlands, and Portugal. This time, Group E offers Ecuador, Curacao, and Germany. With the expanded 48-team format sending eight third-placed sides through, failing to advance from this group would be a genuine shock.
The financial reality means most fans will watch from Abidjan. The U.S. visa process requires bond deposits of up to $15,000 for travellers from several African nations including Ivory Coast — a figure that prices out the vast majority. Some supporters may travel to Toronto for the Germany fixture in Canada, where visa conditions differ.
"I am convinced we will go very far in this competition, maybe even to the final," Silue says.
That might be stretching it. But a team with this quality, this momentum, and a manager who already knows how to win a tournament from the brink? Getting out of the group isn't the ceiling — it's the floor.
