It’s a busy evening in mid-January, and Serge, 31, is taking yet another fare from one part of Abidjan, the bustling economic capital of Ivory Coast, to another in his white Suzuki taxi. As they cross the Charles de Gaulle bridge, which connects the working-class neighborhood of Treichville to the rich one of Plateau, he looks over at a skyscraper, situated not far from Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, one of the city’s grounds that is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament. The flags of the participating nations are projected onto it.
As the sun goes down, the traffic abates and Serge grows more relaxed and talkative, telling New Lines about his deep and abiding passion for soccer. The game between Congo and Zambia is about to begin; he will listen on the car’s radio. That’s how he has followed many of the matches, including the second half of Ivory Coast’s debut match against Guinea-Bissau. Though he had bought himself a ticket and was cheering in the stands, he says the draw of so many potential fares — more than 1 million soccer fans descended on Ivory Coast for the tournament — drew him back to his cab at halftime. Serge left the stadium with sadness. Not only would he have wanted to follow that and other matches live, but his dream, until a few years earlier, was to be on the field for such a game.
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