It is 1 am on the streets of Ebimpe in Abidjan and I find myself among thousands of fans trekking a long distance from the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in the city.
We had just witnessed Cote D’Ivoire beat DR Congo by a goal to nil earlier that Wednesday night, courtesy of a Sebastien Haller stunner in the 65th minute of the nerve-racking game.
The journey by the fans, predominantly Ivorians, who left the stadium on foot did not happen quietly.
Chants filled the air, mixed with orange, white, and green colors. One would think the official Total Energies African Cup of Nations song ‘Akwaba’, which was unveiled weeks ahead of the tournament, would be the underpinning sound.
But a song by Ivorian Producer, Tam Sir, out of nowhere, rose overnight to become the tournament favorite.
‘Coup De Marteau’ featuring Serge, Roseline, Didi B, and Team Paiya has etched itself into becoming the most memorable audio timeline of the tournament, which has been dubbed the most dramatic and exciting yet.
The song, whose title literally means ‘Hammer Blow’ in English, was released as a single on December 8 last year and had been crawling its way into the nooks and crannies of Abidjan before the tournament.
It increased in traction gradually as the Mondial started but went into a different trajectory after the Ivorians beat Senegal to advance to the quarter-finals. It was a crucial victory as it was won on penalties after a thrilling one-all draw.
The players took all these emotions into account when it was time to celebrate the victory, and the DJ understood the assignment by playing ‘Coup De Marteau’.
