The National Lottery of Côte d’Ivoire Lonaci handed over a check for a total amount of 21 million CFA Francs to six (06) football clubs and one handball club. The official handover took place this Friday, April 26, 2024, at the LONACI headquarters, located in Marcory Zone 4 C in the presence of general management.
This subsidy is part of the support provided by LONACI in its capacity as a historic partner of Ivorian football. For this 2023-2024 season each of the following clubs Nour FC – Académie Loure FC – Sikensi FC – Association Sportive des Clubs Cocody – Agir FC de Guibéroua – Glory FC (Women’s club) and Habitat Handball Club d’Abobo received 3 million Francs CFA.
The general director of LONACI, Dramane Coulibaly stressed that for the current season, ”we have broadened the scope of our subsidy to women’s football and handball. This development stems from our vision of a citizen LONACI, resolutely committed to the development of Ivorian sport in all its forms,” he said.
For him, this development involves the growth of other disciplines, and the growth of other sports. With the aim of winning more cups and medals, therefore more international influence for Côte d’Ivoire.
The Director General took the opportunity to renew his encouragement to all the leaders who took part in this ceremony. ‘‘I am hopeful that the grant received today will be a performance catalyst for your respective clubs. I wish everyone every success for the current season,” he said.
Immediately, he provided advice to the managers of the recipient clubs and to the former Ivorian international footballers present. ”Your responsibility is great in the development of our football, of our sport in general. Because the performance of our sport on an international level depends on the quality of your work and the performance of your clubs. Your dedication is therefore to be commended at its true value,” he advised.
Recognizing the difficulties that clubs experience on a daily basis, Mr. Dramane Coulibaly maintained that ”this is why, in addition to its partnership with the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) and the sponsorship of the Elephants footballers, LONACI registered for several years in a logic of direct support to football clubs in the basic divisions. Of course, we do not claim to resolve all the difficulties of the targeted clubs.
But, for us, it is a question of encouraging them to persevere in the effort. Because our conviction is that each franc invested at the base, in the detection and training of talents, is like a seed that we sow together with the clubs.” He also urges, ‘‘I would therefore like to launch an appeal to broad support for these clubs which recruit young talents, train them and make them available to the national team, either directly or indirectly after they have started a professional career.”
Sampah Michel, spokesperson for the recipients, president of Sikensi FC, on behalf of his fellow students, expressed the gratitude of the recipient clubs to the general management of Lonaci for this gesture. According to him, it is due to the financial difficulties they are experiencing. that they asked Lonaci to help them because most of them did not benefit from FIF subsidies.
Indeed, he indicated that their clubs face expenses linked among other things to transport, salaries, food for our athletes, faced with this difficult situation, it is with joy that they welcomed this aid which comes like a breath of fresh air for their teams already engaged in the championship. ”Thank you Mr. General Manager from the bottom of my heart. We say thank you for thinking about the clubs that we are. Thank you for the help you give us. It will certainly allow us to cope with certain costs and improve the supervision conditions of our athletes,’‘ he said.
Mr. Sampah reassured the general director that this grant made available to them will be used wisely to improve the working conditions of “our technical staff and our athletes”.
