Ivory Coast (National Football)

At the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, it looked like the Cote d'Ivoire's Golden Generation had finally reached the end.

One of the most glorious collections of players in Africa's history had finally arrived at the end of its cycle; it had won nothing.

Back in South Africa, they suffered the ignominy of defeat to local rivals Nigeria. Sunday Mba, an almost-unknown player before the tournament, scored the winning goal to send the Super Eagles through to the semi-final and on course to win their first continental title for almost 20 years.

In one swift swoop a midfielder, who no one knew, looked like he had closed the book on Africa's most famous collection of players. In truth, the defeat had been a long time coming. 

The Elephants' tournament had been a veritable disaster. Ignoring the odd moment of brilliance and a brief spell or two of dominance, the Ivorians' tournament began slowly, lulled in the middle and then ended with a whimper.

They just beat Togo thanks to a late Gervinho winner and their deceiving 3-0 scoreline against Tunisia flattered a performance that had lacked conviction. Then it took a late rally to secure a point against an already-defeated Algeria in Rustenburg.

Speaking on a radio show in the UK early in the tournament, I argued that there was little to separate the Cote d'Ivoire from the rest of the contenders apart from the crude mix of big names, training ground pseudo-relaxation and near-arrogant bravado. 

Failure to conquer Africa at the AFCON was not an isolated disappointment. Despite being perennial favourites for a decade, the Elephants have perfected, to an art form, choking on the big stage.

They were defeated finalists in 2006 and 2012, made the semi-finals in 2008 and were eliminated at the quarter-final stage in 2010 and again this year, thanks to Sunday Mba.

Following their disappointing elimination, it felt like the right time to begin to look towards the future. The celebrated generation that emerged together at the ASEC Academy are almost all approaching the final stages of their careers; Arthur Boka, Copa Barry, Emmanuel Eboue, the Toure brothers, 'Maestro' Zokora, Romaric and Drogba have now all hit 30.

Considering the pessimism that surrounded the team following their AFCON elimination, it wouldn't have been a total surprise had Sabri Lamouchi instigated an enforced cull of the squad's elder statesman.

Now, however, the mood is much brighter.

Since the 2-1 defeat to Nigeria, CIV have impressed. The Gambia and Tanzania may be modest opposition, but both were dispatched with a flourish as progression from their World Cup Qualification group was confirmed.

A friendly defeat to Mexico may have made for uncomfortable viewing, but the Elephants made up for that mishap with an impressive first-leg play-off performance against Senegal at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in September.

Papiss Cisse's 95th minute goal may have tarnished the result, but Lamouchi and his men will surely be fiercely confident of preserving their two-goal advantage in the second clash later in the month. Unless Senegal stage an unlikely comeback, the Elephants should qualify for their third-consecutive World Cup.

But is there any evidence to suggest that the Cote d'Ivoire can pull up any trees in Brazil next summer?

Memories of their previous voyages to World Cups past have been underwhelming. On both occasions, in Germany in 2006 and in South Africa in 2010, the Elephants were sent packing in the group stage. Their WC record stands at: played six, won two, drawn one, lost three. Not shabby, by any means, but one they will look to improve next summer.

The caveat to their past disappointment has been the incredibly difficult group selections they have found themselves in.

In both 2006 and 2010 they were drawn in the tournament's 'Group of Death'; their first outing saw them joined with Serbia, Holland and Argentina, while in South Africa they faced Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. These draws represent major challenges for any side in the world, let alone one with little international pedigree.

Similarly, talismanic frontman Didier Drogba suffered a broken arm before the 2010 edition and was rushed into action due to the important role within the team. The injury was described by the Telegraph as a "crippling blow" to the Ivorians' chances in South Africa. Drogba played, but was a shadow of his usual self and the collective suffered as a result.

Could their fortunes improve next summer?

Well, I would argue that perhaps now that the gloss has been taken off the "Golden Generation," this collection of players might be at its most dangerous. Lamouchi's elect have been broken down by such consistent failure, and more importantly, their consistent failure to realise the expectations that others have placed upon them. Following the proposed dismissal of the group after the AFCON, the squad now have nothing to lose.

For almost all of them, this will be their final chance to create a legacy within the international arena. Should Drogba still be present, he will be supremely motivated not only to create his own World Cup memories, but also to banish the disappointment of his underwhelming outing in South Africa.

As the Golden Generation reach the end of the road, more new players are being introduced into the squad. This is freshening up the squad's approach, creating greater competition for places and adding a vitality and a verve to the team.

The right-back Serge Aurier has made the position his own and offers an excellent attacking threat as well as defensive composure. 29-year-old Serey Die has also been drafted into the sqaud and has proved capable in a handful of performances to date—the midfielder will surely benefit from his Champions League experiences with Basel this season.

Up front, the likes of Wilfried Bony, Gio Sio and Lacina Traore are also champing at the bit to earn a starting berth. While none of the three will be too optimistic about usurping Drogba or Salomon Kalou, any of them would be effective substitues should they receive the opportunity.

A final point of optimism should be found in the recent form of some of the Ivorians' key players.

Yaya Toure has begun to rediscover the form that made him such a devastating central-midfielder in Manchester City's title-winning season. Toure shined momentarily at the 2013 AFCON but was widely considered to have been off the boil over the last 12 months.

Gervinho is probably the most exciting aspect of the current squad. The winger, with his electric pace and direct running, offers something different. And his stagnation at Arsenal left the squad devoid of one of their most deadly weapons.

Since his move to Serie A however, with Roma, the former Lille man has been a revelation. His reunion with former coach Rudi Garcia has worked wonders for both men, and the left-sided attacker has been one of the stars of Roma's charge to the top of Serie A.

With fleet-footed Arouna Kone injured for the majority of the season, Gervinho's form takes on even more importance for Lamouchi and Co. If he can continue this form, then don't expect the Elephants to endure another first round elimination next summer.

The Africa Cup of Nations' premier quarterfinal tie featured two of the three true heavyweights in this competition.

Ivory Coast and Nigeria—two teams packed full of talent—served up a classic tactical cancellation by fielding very similar 4-2-3-1 formations and thus nullifying the danger areas of the pitch.

Here's a little look at how both sides shaped up.

In retrospect, it's no surprise that this game failed to serve up a thrilling cocktail of football. We've seen this problem in domestic football countless times, and the European Championships during the summer saw the majority sides settle for this "safety first" option.

A lack of tactical development has seen numerous sides field a straight 4-4-2 this winter, so some understanding is a welcome change. It was just unfortunate that both Nigeria's and Ivory Coast's best players were blunted during the 90 minutes.

Nullification

Speaking generally, a pair of holding pivots in the midfield suffocates any space.

When Netherlands met Germany in Euro 2012, Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger drove Wesley Sneijder deeper and wider than he wanted to be, while Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong did the same to Mesut Ozil.

The result is a lack of flow to a game, no certifiable dominance in possession and a lot of toothless looking attacks.

We saw all of this on Sunday, too.

Yaya Toure has been such a threat playing in an advanced role behind Didier Drogba during this tournament, but that's largely against 4-4-2 and 4-4-1-1 formations. The space he found behind the midfield against Togo, Tunisia and Algeria simply wasn't there against the Super Eagles.

Nigeria's holding midfield closed the space in front of their defensive line, while Ivory Coast's did the same to stop Onazi from playing.

Moment of brilliance

Really, this forces the wide players to come into play. That should have played into the hands of the Elephants due to the great form of Gervinho and Salomon Kalou, but they failed to have any impact on the game whatsoever.

Instead it was Victor Moses—playing from the left flank and cutting inward—that had the most joy, and his stinging shot from 25 yards early in the first half had Boubacar Barry fretting.

With the flanks won by no one and the midfield not dominated either, this wasn't a pretty game. What it came down to, then, was a moment of brilliance to decide proceedings.

It was Emmanuel Emenike's super strike from a free kick routine that opened the scoring, then Cheick Tiote's header that leveled it. Two goals from set pieces—no surprises considering the tactical stalemate.

The winner, from Sunday Mba, was the game-breaking moment that belies a team's setup though.

You can close gaps, shut down space and force opponents into certain areas all you want, but you can't legislate for one man taking the ball, dancing past three and scooping one into the net.

Conclusion

True to form for most hyped-up encounters, this was a tactical non-event.

Six players in central midfield made for almost no space to play in throughout the opposition's third and poor execution coupled with a baffling lack of understanding of the offside rule stumped any quick, incisive attacks.

It was as slow moving and laborious as they come, and the biggest highlight was the lack of bizarre refereeing decisions.

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Didier Drogba is a legend of world football, no matter how the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations plays out.

It would be a tad ironic if the Elephants were to finally break their African Cup of Nations duck with Drogba taking a lesser role. He came on as a sub in the country's 3-0 win against Tunisia.

Despite a diminished importance this year, no player has been more vital to Cote d'Ivoire in recent years than Drogba.

He should be praised, though, should he continue to be willing to sit back and let the younger players take over. Thierry Henry hampered France massively at the 2010 World Cup when he refused to take a diminished role in the national team.

Unfortunately for Drogba, the striker's been a part of some of Cote d'Ivoire's biggest heartaches in the tournament. Perhaps no failure hit harder than the loss in the 2012 Final.

With all of the heartbreaking results of the past, the Elephants used a much more risk-averse system of play and failed to concede a goal the entire tournament. They then lost to Zambia on penalties.

For most players, lacking international trophies might be a hindrance to how they're remembered.

After Chelsea's 2012 Champions League Final win, an international medal is the only thing missing for Drogba. He's far from the only player facing this scenario.

Many of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's detractors point to the fact that they have failed to transfer their club forms in to international football.

That kind of criticism isn't warranted with Drogba.

There have been fewer players in recent memory who have consistently stepped up more on the biggest stage with their clubs. Last year alone was the kind of season for Drogba some footballers can only dream to do over their entire careers.

First, he became the only player to score in four F.A. Cup finals in the 2-1 win over Liverpool. Then, in the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich, he scored the equalizer in the 88th minute and the winning penalty in the shootout.

There's also his off-field exploits, which are quite a contrast to the petulant side he would often show on the pitch.

Few players across all sports are as socially aware as Drogba. Through The Didier Drogba Foundation, the striker has been able to give back those in need in his homeland.

It's because of that foundation that hospitals are being built and mosquito nets are being put on beds to help prevent the spread of malaria. Drogba has also worked very hard to try and put an end to the civil war that has ripped his country apart.

These are the kinds of things most players don't have on their resumes. Drogba is far from the only athlete ever to pursue humanitarian endeavors, but that doesn't mean he should go without praise.

Regardless of your opinion of Drogba the player, Drogba the man deserves the kinds of accolades that can't be won on a football pitch.

What has gotten into Gervinho?

We mean that in the best way possible, of course. Gervinho, famous fluffer of golden chances with Arsenal, can't stop scoring at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast.

The 25-year-old scored the winner last week as Ivory Coast edged Togo in both teams' opening match. Then on Saturday, Gervinho did it again.

It wasn't quite as dramatic this time, but Gervinho scored the first goal Saturday in Ivory Coast's 3-0 victory over Tunisia in Rustenburg, South Africa. Here's what happened.

In the 21st minute, Gervinho burst into Tunisia's box on the left and played a one-two with Lacina Traore. Upon receiving Traore's return pass, Gervinho beat the keeper with a high finish into the far corner.

The goal, Gervinho's second of the tournament in two games, appears below. It serves as our Set Piece Video of the Day for this Sunday. Enjoy.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure made it 2-0 with a curling shot in the 87th minute, and substitute Didier Ya Konan added Ivory Coast's third in the closing moments.

The victory gave Ivory Coast six points through two matches and sent the Elephants into the quarterfinals. Togo and Tunisia will play for Group D's other quarterfinal berth in their final group-stage match.

Afterwards, Ivory Coast coach Sabri Lamouchi fielded questions about not playing superstar forward Didier Drogba. Thanks to his team's performance, including that of Gervinho, it was easy to see Lamouchi's reasoning.

Here's what Lamouchi said (per BBC Sport):

Why didn't I play Didier Drogba? Because it seemed to me that the 11 players I picked were the best to overcome this good Tunisian side.

My first satisfaction comes from the victory and the second from the content. We really entered this competition today.

We caused a lot of problems for this very good Tunisian team and were never really threatened at any point.

Tell us this, then, readers. Is this the real Gervinho?

Can Arsenal count on him returning to England in good form? Up to this point, his second season with the Gunners has gone about as poorly as his first.

Let us know what you think.

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Ivory Coast striker Gervinho has been on a tear in the first two matches of Group D play in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. With two goals in as many matches, including both ultimate game winners, the 25-year-old has solidified the Elephants as a legitimate contender for the trophy.

The embattled scorer's emergence isn't completely surprising, since he was a solid contributor on last year's runner-up team.

However, his immense struggles with his English Premier League club Arsenal and a costly misfire in the 2012 Cup of Nations final against Zimbabwe planted seeds of doubt about the talented attacker.

But somebody needed to step up for the Ivory Coast national football team since all-time leading scorer Didier Drogba hasn't quite been himself. That was especially the case on Saturday, as Drogba was benched to start the match for the first time in his career.

After scoring the deciding goal against Togo in the opener, Gervinho scored his second straight goal for his country in the 21st minute, firing an unstoppable shot into the far, top corner of the net, getting the Elephants on the board early against Tunisia.

Dan Walker, host of the BBC's Football Focus, poked fun at Gervinho's sudden explosion as compared to his lackluster play in the EPL:

I'm hearing reports that Gervinho has actually scored a goal. There are witnesses & everything #acon

— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) January 26, 2013

The goal proved to be enough, though, as the Elephants were able to stave off the Eagles of Carthage and add two more goals late to cap off a 3-0 triumph. Thanks to Algeria's loss in the subsequent match against Togo, Ivory Coast is the first squad through to the quarterfinals.

This return to form for Gervinho is an extremely encouraging recent trend, as he has seemed to put behind the disappointment in this tournament last year at least for the moment.

Gervinho's hot streak also afforded Drogba a valuable opportunity to rest until the 68th minute of Saturday's fixture.

And the best part about this development is that the match with Algeria this coming Wednesday will not mean anything in Group D, but will provide the Elephants with a terse test in facing a very young, talented squad eager to notch at least one point since being heavily favored to win the group.

If Gervinho can keep getting closer to aligning his potential with his actual performance on the field, the Ivory Coast attack will be too much for opponents to overcome.

But what if Drogba returns to his typical, dominant self? All the better.

The highly versatile Yaya Toure also has two goals in the group stage, and he and Gervinho form a formidable tandem on the attack that will need to continue producing for the Elephants to return to the finals.

It appears as though Gervinho is determined to redeem what has been a recently disappointing stretch to his young, promising career. Look for him to continue playing well and to be a key reason that Ivory Coast makes another deep run in the Cup of Nations.

Benching Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba to start Saturday's critical Africa Cup of Nations fixture against Tunisia wouldn't seem like the soundest strategy for manager Sabri Lamouchi. The bold strategy paid off, however, and turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the squad.

The reason that the longtime Chelsea star striker wasn't in was partially due to his struggles against Togo in the opening match, which the Elephants barely won by a score of 2-1. He had just three days of rest prior to that fixture (h/t Pro Soccer Talk) and was simply fatigued.

As risky as the move was, Lamouchi still pulled the trigger with three points already in the bag. The Elephants now sit atop Group D thanks to a 3-0 victory over the Eagles of Carthage, keyed by a strong effort on the attack that Drogba didn't figure prominently into.

Extremely talented winger Gervinho, who plays for the English Premier League squad Arsenal, flashed his ability with a phenomenal goal to open the scoring in the 21st minute. Gervinho also scored the winner in the fixture with Togo.

Drogba didn't sub in until the 68th minute, as the attack began to stagnate and was in need of a spark. Although he didn't score, the Elephants were able to free up enough space to blow the game open at the end thanks to goals by Yaya Toure and substitute Didier Ya Konan in the closing few minutes.

As the Ivory Coast's all-time national team leader with 59 goals in 93 appearances, it was certainly an encouraging sign that the Elephants were able to thrive on offense without too much assistance from their most prolific scorer in Drogba.

Now that Ivory Coast are guaranteed a spot in the knockout face of the Cup of Nations, they have a golden tune-up opportunity on Jan. 30 against the eliminated Algerian national team.

The Greens have nothing but pride to play for next Wednesday, while the Elephants can tinker with strategy and continue to integrate Drogba back into the lineup at their own liberty.

The great news, too, is that any contribution from Drogba moving forward will be an added bonus to the strong effort that the Elephants are already getting offensively.

Based on the unprecedented production he has had for his national team, Drogba should only become more of a force as the tournament wears on.

This is a confident, aggressively attacking Ivory Coast squad that is sporting fine form at the moment and is also seeking revenge. At last year's Cup, a scoreless tie in regulation led to penalty kicks, where the Elephants were edged out 8-7 by reigning champion Zimbabwe.

Drogba tied the tournament lead with three goals, but missed a spot kick in the final (h/t BBC). Gervinho—who missed the final PK—has already found the net twice in a redemptive streak.

Not only will this club be a major factor in the knockout phase, but Ivory Coast should be considered a strong contender to win the trophy as a finalist for the fourth time. And Drogba's eventual return to the starting lineup will only enhance those chances.

With both the Ivory Coast and Tunisia having won their opening games in Group D, this could well be the game which decides who comes top.

In Ivory Coast's opener against Togo, Yaya Toure gave the Elephants a perfect start to the tournament as he struck an eighth-minute goal. 

However, the Ivory Coast failed to build on their early lead as they gave a laboured performance and Togo equalised just on the stroke of halftime. It was not until two minutes from time that Ivory Coast took the lead again, as Gervinho struck a spectacular late volley from a Toure free kick.

Tunisia left it even later to grab their winner in a 1-0 victory over Algeria. They were abject in the first-half and though they improved in the second, it took until the 90th minute until the highly-rated Youssef Msakni curled a beautiful long-range effort to win the game for Tunisia.

Both teams know they must improve when they meet on Saturday. Didier Drogba had a very quiet game by his standards for the Ivory Coast and it may take him time to get back into the rhythm of a higher level of football, after his spell in China.

Ivory Coast Team News

There are no injury problems for the Ivory Coast and they have plenty of options within their star-studded squad  if they want to make changes after the poor performance against Togo.

Having won that game though, it's likely that they will line up with the same XI that started the opening game.

(4-4-2) Barry; Tiene, Eboue, K.Toure, Bamba; Zokora, Y.Toure, Gervinho, Gradel; Konan, Drogba

Tunisia Team News

The big blow for Tunisia is the fact that they will be without there striker Issam Jemaa. The Kuwait SC forward is Tunisia's all-time leading scorer with 34 goals in 70 games. 

Jemaa picked up an injury early on in the match against Algeria and was replaced by Hamdi Harbaoui, who is likely to deputise from the start against the Ivory Coast.

(4-4-2) Mathlouthi; Ifa, Chamman, Hichri, Abdennour; Mouelhi, Traoui, Mouelhi, Msakni, Hammami; Khelifa, Harbaoui

Verdict

Both teams should progress to the knockout stages of the tournament, but it will be Ivory Coast that tops the group.

It should be a tight game, but Ivory Coast are a physically stronger team than Tunisia and have the firepower to win this game. We're going with a 1-0 win for The Elephants.