Gentle giant Kipre seeks final justice
WITH ten bookings and two red cards to his name during an eventful debut season in Scotland, it would be easy to view Cedric Kipre as one of the more combustible characters in the Motherwell dressing room.
Yet, nothing could actually be further from the truth.
As team-mates of the big French defender will testify, he’s actually as laid back as they come.
He comes across as a fairly quiet type and his hugely powerful physique is offset by the fact he retains all the natural shyness of still only being 21 years of age.
That qualifies him as one of the babies in the Motherwell camp. But the way in which he has imposed himself on their season is befitting of a vastly more experienced player.
After his release from Leicester City last summer, Kipre moved to Fir Park on an initial one-year deal before extending it until 2020 prior to Saturday’s destruction of Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
That victory secured a passage through to the final, where Kipre and Co will meet Celtic — the team who feature so prominently in his own personal story of his first season in Scottish football.
Kipre (right) was dubiously sent off after a clash with Scott Sinclair as Celtic triumphed 2-0 in the Betfred Cup final last November.
The Motherwell defender then saw red for a second time against the same opposition in a 0-0 draw last month after a clash with Scott Brown, though it was later downgraded to yellow on appeal.
Determined not to make it the most unfortunate of hattricks when the sides meet again in next month’s Hampden showpiece, Kipre joked: ‘Hopefully I can stay on the pitch for 90 minutes this time.
‘I always wanted to go back to Hampden because I was disappointed with what happened in the Betfred Cup — losing a final and being sent off. Everybody at the club is delighted to have reached another final — two in one season is just amazing. We want to do everything we possibly can to make sure we win this one. ‘I’m not sure if it’s more special for me to play Celtic because, once you reach a final, you just want to win it regardless of who you play. There is a trophy to be won.’ Kipre has established himself as a fans’ favourite at Fir Park and his top form for Stephen Robinson’s side led to a first call-up to the Ivory Coast national squad last month. Had things turned out differently, he might even have had a World Cup to look forward to, but Les Elephants failed to qualify for the finals for the first time since 2002. Kipre, however, is still optimistic about what the next few weeks might hold and is desperate to secure a first Scottish Cup triumph for Motherwell since 1991. ‘It has been a great few weeks for me,’ said the former Paris SaintGermain youth player. ‘I was really delighted to receive the call for the Ivory Coast and then I also signed a new contract with Motherwell. ‘I have also reached the final of the Scottish Cup in this period over the past few weeks, so it has been unbelievable for me. I am very happy. ‘I thank the club so much for everything they have done for me. They have allowed me to play football every week and this is all I ever want to do. ‘The fans sing my name and, I must admit, I love it. It gives me so much pride and motivation when I hear them singing my name: “Kipre, Kipre...” ‘Everything that has happened at Motherwell this season was not what I was expecting. It has turned out much better. ‘I have some superstitions, but I do not want to reveal them. If we win the cup, I’ll reveal everything.’