Thirteen years ago, Ivory Coast was tearing itself apart. In its second civil war, the current president, Alassane Ouattara, whose name is given to the stadium that will host today's final, controlled much of the south of the country from his rebel stronghold in Abobo, a settlement in the north of Abidjan.Maybe there should be no surprise that Ouattara gained much of his support here. Abobo was one of the poorest parts of Abidjan and people felt like they were being ignored by the Gbagbo government. But has change arrived? Politics remains a hushed subject, yet according to Amza Gamal, a certain fact remains.“If you want to find a footballer, you come to Abobo, not Cocody,” he tells The Athletic as he looks out across a litter-strewn sandpit where players from the club he is president of and founded, Olympique Abobo, have training sessions and, occasionally, matches.Since its formation 20 years ago, Olympique Abobo has delivered six international footballers, as well as anothe