Inza Coulibaly, 36, a Chicago taxi driver from Cote d’Ivoire, talked to Tempo as he watched his team’s second World Cup game, against Holland.
“Back home, you would not hear anybody outside right now, only the flies. Everybody will be inside, focused on the game.
“I feel a little bit nervous, because it’s a must-win situation. [Cote d’Ivoire lost its first match, against Argentina, 2-1]. We’re weak in the middle of the defense, and sometimes I don’t trust the goalkeeper [Jean-Jacques Tizie, 33].”
In the 23rd minute, Holland scores on a free kick to go up 1-0.
“See, [Tizie’s] anticipation wasn’t good. He’s getting old.”
Three minutes later, Holland scores again. Some of the Ivorians with Coulibaly, at The Globe Pub in Lakeview, shout that Holland was offside.
“I feel like there’s a dagger in my heart. Honestly, I think the guy was little bit offsides. But I hate whining about the ref.”
In the 38th minute, Bakary Kone powers past two defenders and scores for Cote d’Ivoire.
“That’s my boy, Baki! One more! There’s some hope.”
At the half, Coulibaly reflects on his country, divided into north and south since civil war broke out in 2002.
“It’s a beautiful country. I’m not talking about the resorts. You’ve got to go to the villages. At the end of the day, all the families bring their food together in the middle of the village, and then we share the food and talk about the day’s problems. I like this part of my country, where people care about each other.
“My hope is that, through a victory, we can somehow put politics aside and find a way to get back together.”
Coulibaly explains that he left his college studies in Africa to make money for his family.
“Every month, I go to Western Union and take care of my mom. My father [who is Muslim] has two other wives, and I try to help them, too, since he died.”
In the 60th minute, coach Henri Michel takes out Kone.
“Kone’s the one who scored! He’s the only one who takes chances. [Michel] needs to go. I’m sorry. He was fired by Cameroon, but for some reason we trust him to take our team?”
When the game buzzer sounds, Coulibaly reflects on the 2-1 loss.
“The question is, how can we overcome this? It’s a mental thing that goes beyond soccer, or sports. Everything we do in Africa, it’s the same: We need to believe we can win.”
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lhahn@tribune.com
