Tottenham defender Serge Aurier has praised his Ivory Coast teammates and the coaching crew after the country qualified for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Aurier produced a man-of-the-match display with a goal and two assists as Patrice Beaumelle’s side trounced Niger 3-0 in their penultimate qualifier on Friday.
He opened the scoring at the Stade General Seyni Kountche in the 25th minute before helping Max Gradel and Serge Kanon find the back of the net.
The away victory in Niamey secured Ivory Coast's ninth consecutive qualification for the continental tournament, and they sit atop Group K with 10 points after five matches.
The last time the 2015 champions failed to make it to the Afcon stage was in 2004.
Beaumelle’s men will be hoping to end their qualification campaign with another win when they host second-placed Ethiopia in Abidjan on Tuesday.
Also included in his congratulatory message to Ivorians, Aurier paid tribute to Ivory Coast FA president Sidy Augustin Diallo, who died of coronavirus in November 2020.
“We are qualified! I first want to pay tribute to our president of the federation, Mr. Augustin Sidy Diallo, this qualification was your wish like all the other years, it is what we did and I know that you are proud of your children! Rest in peace we will never forget you,” Aurier wrote on Instagram.
“Bravo to all! Staff, players, and to all those who support us in good times as in bad times, impossible to imagine an Afcon without the Ivory Coast! Some will say that it is normal, I say that it is just necessary to congratulate those who fight to maintain the colours of our country among the great of this continent and the whole world! This is what is normal!
“We have one last match left to complete this chapter on Tuesday to celebrate all together.”
