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Hero of more than one generation
Even with the talent of the current generation of Senegales players there are still not many bigger heroes in Senegal than Jules Bocandé. Boc,as he is known, is now the assistant to Bruno Metsu. It's Boc to whom the players go when they want something. It's Boc who can lift the crowd with an appearance on the touchline. Off the pitch he is still the centre of attention, cadging a cigarette here and there as he holds court. No wonder he has a reputation throughout french football and Senegalese high society for being a ladies man. Boc says of the current squad: "The kids are great, physically, tactically and technically. We do have individuals who really are better than the rest like Diouf, Fadiga, Diao. But what made this team so good aren't the individualities but the group, the family. We're a real bunch of friends…from the technical commission to the players. That really is what makes our force, nothing else. We don't have superstars, we have good footballers playing as a family." But his reputaion in both France and senegal was also earned on the pitch. While playing for his club Casa-Sports in the Senegalese FA Cup final of 1980, Bocandé became involved in a row with referee which culminated in the short-tempered striker kicking the official. For this act of violence, Bocandé received a life ban from playing football in Senegal. Bocandé's desire to earn a living from the game he loves took him to Europe. His continental adventure began at lowly Belgian club Tournoi, but it was while playing for Serang FC he came to prominence. His spectacular performances for them earned him a move to French first division team Metz. At Metz Bocandé found a team who could bring the best out of his talent. His finest season coming in 1985-86. The Senegalese man hit 23 goals in the season to top the goal scoring charts in France. After that wonderful season, French giants Paris St Germain came knocking at the door with a lucrative contract offer and a chance to play with some of France's finest footbaling talent. In truth the move to Paris didn't work out for Bocandé and he quickly moved on to Lens. But no matter, in the eyes of the folks back home Jules became a national hero which resulted in the lifting of his ban. He started playing for the national team again and the culmination was to come in the 1992 African Nations Cup which Senegal hosted. It was a disaster for the Senegalese who lost their opening game, struggled past Kenya and went out in the quarter-finals. Bocande was by now at Monaco and totally devastated gave up international football. Ten years later and Boc's latest memories of the national team are the wonderful journey home after walloping Namibia for world Cup qualification. "It was madness, complete madness…I don't know if you heard about our trip back to Dakar but if you had been there you would have been astonished. All the people were in the streets. In Dakar, from the airport to the President's house, the streets were crowded. The people had completely forgotten all the economical problems that we had at the time with the price of rice and sugar increasing which created political worries. This qualification made the Senegalese people forget all the problems. So it was great for everyone: the Government, the people, everyone… They're still in the state of euphoria of this qualification. It is a "grande premiere". A grande premiere describes the arrival of Bocande on the Senegalese scene all those years ago. |
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Senegal
ready for france Simply
Aghawonder Diao's
star rises again Tough
as they come Song
at the ready On
the left side Metsu's
secret The
Senegalese Lions The
Senegalese way The
Lion's route The
next Haile Profiles African
Cup of Nations
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