Olympique de Marseille don arrive for Cote d’Ivoire for dia pre-season preparation. Di club dey play dia first friendly match against Yamoussoukro FC, wey be newly promoted side for Ivorian first division.
Di match go take place for Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny for Abidjan, with kick-off set for 9pm French time. New coach Bruno Genesio don pick 4-2-3-1 formation for dis match. Jeffrey de Lange go dey for goal, with defense line wey get Kelyann Bezahaf, CJ Egan-Riley, Koum, and Emerson. Midfield double pivot na Hojberg and Kondogbia, while Amine Harit, Abdallah, and Paixao go support striker Neal Maupay.
No new signings dey for di squad, as Marseille no recruit any player dis summer. Mason Greenwood don leave go Fenerbahçe. Di squad get 25 players, including some young boys from Pro 2 and loan players like Garcia, Gomes, Harit, Maupay, and Moumbagna wey don return. Aubameyang don go Spain before di trip.
Di friendly match go dey broadcast on Marseille official Twitch channel, but only for members of Peuple Bleu&Blanc Essential, Gold, and Platinum. Dis na first time for France wey pre-season match dey behind paywall for streaming.
Aside from football, di club don also do social work. Dem visit La Case des Enfants, an orphanage wey di First Lady Dominique Ouattara dey support. Nadine Sangaré, wey represent di First Lady, praise di initiative. Minister of Tourism and Leisure Siandou Fofana dey present, and e encourage di youths to take inspiration from sports values like courage, discipline, resilience, and teamwork. E also call for partnership between Marseille and La Case des Enfants.
Marseille president Stéphane Richard dey there, and e commend Dominique Ouattara for her social work for vulnerable children. Di ceremony end with songs, dances, poems, and artistic performances from di children.
Di pre-season stage go end on July 18. Ligue 1 go start on August 21 against Strasbourg.
