Ivory Coast (National Football)

One of the most lethal strikers in the world today might become the greatest absence of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Chelsea top scorer of the season and Ivory Coast's main hope of advancing in the tournament, Didier Drogba, fractured his forearm this Friday during Ivory Coast's friendly against Japan. 

Drogba's injury happened at the 15th minute when Japan's defender Tanaka tried to reach a bouncing ball sent to Drogba in midfield and ended up hitting his knee on Drogba's arm.

The incident was actually an accident. There was no intention to hurt.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE THE PLAY THAT CAUSED DROGBA'S INJURY .

Didier Drogba was rushed to the hospital where the fracture was detected.

The Ivorian Football Federation denied that Drogba is completely ruled out of the World Cup as French newspaper L'Equipe stated on its website right after the confirmation of the broken arm was announced. 

At this point I'd say he's out.

We've seen footballers play the game with broken arms before—Beckenbauer (in 1970 vs. Italy) being the first one that comes to my mind—but times have changed.

Unless it's a minor fracture and FIFA is OK with Drogba playing with a soft cast, I think he's out. 

Brazil and Portugal were already my favorites to lead group play; and with Drogba out of the World Cup, I believe things will get much easier now for the two powerhouses. 

It's true that even without the 32-year-old Chelsea striker, The Elephants are still a respectable team.

They have Yaya Touré, Eboué, Romaric and Kalou. However, we all know that Drogba is not only the team's main goal scorer and captain but he is (or was) also the main factor in Ivory Coast's hopes of surprising Portugal or Brazil (mainly Portugal I'd say).

Portugal's defense can't be trusted and that's what The Elephants were counting on by having Kalou and Drogba terrorize them in their opening match on June 15th at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. 

I'm sure Brazil is also aware of the threat the Ivorians could pose in case they lose to Portugal, and not having Drogba on the pitch will certainly make Brazilian defenders' job much easier… I mean, less hard.

That's all for now...

Cheers

South Africa 2010 was meant to be Africa's coming out party. As the official song for the cup states, “This Time for Africa”. However, slowly the strongest African contenders are losing steam before the tournament even begins.

Today it was announced that Didier Drogba—the Ivory Coast Captain—fractured his elbow in an exhibition match against Japan.

Drogba, the leading scorer of the English Premier League, was the biggest hope to many for the African team breaking through to win the cup.

Strong players back Drogba including the midfielder Yaya Toure from Barcelona, but it is doubtful that the team could go far without the threat of Drogba up front.

Drogba's Chelsea teammate Michael Essien—the former captain of the Ghana team—will also miss the World Cup.

Essien injured a ligament in his knee training earlier in the year and was unable to recover in time to make Ghana's 23-man roster for the cup.

Essien had been a strong presence for Ghana in the midfield and was one of the stars in Ghana's surprise run past the group stage in 2006. 

In what is now a genuine Chelsea curse, fellow midfielder Michael Ballack will also miss the World Cup for Germany after injuring his ankle during the FA Cup Final.

Germany has a depth to recover from the injury that Ivory Coast and especially Ghana don't necessarily possess.

Ghana and Ivory Coast are still very dangerous teams without their star players, with most of their players playing in one of the top four leagues.

It'll be interesting to see which players will step up in each team to give a sense of leadership and create a fairy tale African run. 

While Ivory Coast has more depth in its team, Drogba might be a much greater loss since African teams have had a history of having a hard time finalizing the scoring opportunities they create.

Drogba was an assassin in the box not only in skill but pure physical force. He was one of the most efficient strikers entering the 2010 World Cup.

While the Ivory Coast doctors have not entirely discarded Drogba from playing in the Cup, Drogba announced to his teammate Kolo Toure that he will miss the cup. 

If only for Africa, hopefully Drogba's teammates are able, despite his injury, to aid Ivory Coast to escape their "Group of Death" against Brazil, Portugal, and North Korea.

As the world tournament draws ever closer, there are teams that are often spoken about when people think of potential cup winners, typically the quadrennial favorite's such as Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, and to a lesser extent France, Spain, the Netherlands, and England.

In the last 10 world cups, there have been five different nations that have taken the trophy. Argentina have won twice, as have West Germany, Brazil has the most with three trophies, Italy also have two, while France has just one. Broken up continentally, this shows that South America have five tournaments against Europe's five.

No other continent has provided a winning team besides these two, from approximately 200 nations on seven continents that enter the tournament every qualifying round.

Interestingly enough, in 18 previous tournaments, the cup has been won by a nation playing on its own continent in 13 of them. This reminds instantly of the boost players get in front of familiar support. The five that were won truly abroad in a foreign continent, the only true international ones were Brazil's victory in Sweden in 1958 and their victory in Japan-Korea in 2002.

The others were all in the greater American continent; Brazil with two, one in Mexico 1970 and one in the US in 1994. Argentina have the other counted as foreign in Mexico as well, in 1986.

This goes further to show the advantage of playing near home.

With six African teams in the cup in South Africa, it could possibly be time to keep a watchful eye on the performances of these sides. Packed full of talent from leagues across the globe, several of these teams will present serious questions to the old guard of World Cup football.

It is the Ivory Coast that I am focusing on today, as they are one such team with a wealth of talent. The players feature in in top leagues across seventeen countries.

Probably the most well known of these players are Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure. Both part of champion squads in their club teams this year. Along with these notables are Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Arouna Kone, Abdul Kader Keita, Solomon Kalou, Aruna Dindane, Romaric, Didier Zokora, Guy Demel, and Boubacar Barry. All are fairly familiar names in the world of football.

After a particularly disappointing African Cup of Nations, in which they failed to fire, going out in the quarters, the Cote d'Ivoire football association sacked their coach Vahid Halilhodzic despite his exemplary record with the team in having only lost one game in his two-year stint at the helm. Clearly a ridiculous sacking and one that reeks of the fallout of the modern professional game and its win at all costs attitude.

This is all done and dusted though. It is now Sven Goran-Eriksson as boss, and you have to fancy the Swede's chances as he is no slouch when it comes to his managerial record. After all, he has won 22 trophies in four different countries, including Italy for nine of those successes.

His tenure at Manchester City, coming after he finished the England national team job, restored the club to prominence, leading the league for a time and also defeating Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United twice.

He was harshly sacked by Thaksin Sinawatra, after this season, despite the club having played some of its best football in years. So he will identify with his predecessor Halilhodzic in that they were both treated badly after beginning the job of fashioning a team into a truly formidable unit. 

Goran-Eriksson is worthy of respect, despite what some England fans would say. He has a proven record of excellence and could possibly be the man to lead Ivory Coast to glory.

It seems that Cote d'Ivoire have the ingredients for success.

Obviously, Dider Drogba and Yaya Toure will be vital. Both have had excellent seasons with their respective teams.

With Barcelona, Toure has just won the Spanish La Liga in consecutive seasons. Drogba has just won his third Premier League title with Chelsea and also scored the winner in the FA Cup final, which brought the London side its first ever domestic double.

Drogba is bordering on being the perfect striker. The only thing that really holds him back is his petulance. Known to engage in fits of sulking that can last entire matches.

Luckily his age has cured him of this and it has become less apparent in the last season, despite it popping up against Wigan, in the championship defining match, when Drogba wanted to take a first half penalty that was duly dispatched by Frank Lampard, Chelsea's designated spot kick taker.

He showed that he has improved excellently in the area of his attitude when he came out in the second half and scored a hat trick.

A truly dangerous opponent, Drogba is able to hit excellent free kicks, thunderous shots from distance, deftly placed flicks from close in, and his heading is technically superior to most players in the world game.

If Drogba is able to combine with Toure in the way that Toure has combined with Argentina star Lionel Messi at Barcelona, then North Korea, Portugal, and Brazil could well be in for a nasty surprise each. Toure demonstrated his excellent abilities as a provider in the penultimate match of La Liga when he laid on two goals for his Argentinian teammate, goals which confirmed Barcelona's league success.

Toure is an extremely gifted midfielder, his large frame disguising trickery and guile that are normally the preserve of those who are smaller in stature. Along with the technique he has excellent strength, pace, and vision. He is one of the reasons for Barcelona's success, and a vital part of Pep Guardiola's squad.

Add to this the talents of the many other stars from around Europe and the managerial nous of Goran-Eriksson, and you have a recipe that could mix up a tasty treat for African football fans everywhere.

Perhaps they could be the winner of the first African football World Cup. Nothing is decided before the tournament.

If only two words could be used to describe the Ivory Coast's preliminary 30-man roster that was announced by manager Sven-Goran Eriksson yesterday, they would have to be as expected. Of the players initially selected to represent the Ivory Coast in the upcoming World Cup, there are no shockers.

We knew that Didier Drogba would highlight the list and that all of the Ivorians playing in the English Premier League and other top European leagues would make the cut. We knew that Eriksson would favor a defensive lineup and coach to his team's strengths. We also knew that there would be many returning players from the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

That being said, yesterday's announcement gives us a very good idea about what to expect from the Elephants in South Africa.

Notable Players

Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Sporting Lokeren OV), Vincent Angban (ASEC Abidjan)

Defenders: Arthur Boka (Stuttgart FC), Guy Demel (Hamburg SV), Emmanuel Eboué (Arsenal FC), Kolo Touré (Manchester City FC), Abdoulaye Meité (West Bromwich Albion FC)

Midfielders: Didier Zokora (Sevilla FC), Romaric (Sevilla FC), Yaya Touré (FC Barcelona), Abdel-Kader Keita (Galatasaray SK), Emmanuel Koné (FC International Curtea Arges)

Forwards: Didier Drogba (Chelsea FC), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea FC), Aruna Dindane (Portsmouth FC), Bakari Koné (Olympique Marseille), Gervinho (Lille OSC)

The Break-Down

Sporting one of the fastest, toughest, and deepest back lines in this year's field, the Ivory Coast will look to its defenders to provide the team with a solid foundation and stability. The Ivorian back line has the potential to be one of the strongest in South Africa.

With multiple defenders playing for top-tier clubs, the experience earned playing at the best clubs in the world should translate to the international level and give the Ivory Coast experience and discipline in pressure-packed World Cup matches.

The leaders of the Ivorian defense are Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué, who are regulars for two of the top clubs in England. Both are tough, speedy backs who will take the challenge of marking the opposition's best forwards. This will be critical for the Elephants as they face off against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Fabiano, Robinho, and Kaka in Group G.

As I mentioned in my preview of the Ivory Coast , one of the Ivory Coast's biggest strengths is the aggressive mentality of its defenders. Led by Touré, Eboué, and Arthur Boka, the Ivorian backs are adept at harassing and frustrating opposing forwards and midfielders.

The Elephants look to intimidate their opponents on the pitch and that intimidation starts in the back, where their defenders will tackle, push, foul and do whatever else they can to gain an advantage.

This aggressive mentality is shared by the Ivorian midfield. Eriksson decided to go with a very defensive, tough-minded midfield, which was expected, considering that a defensive midfield was used in the 2010 African Cup of Nations and other qualifiers for South Africa.

The Elephants have two of the most proven defensive midfielders out there in Yaya Touré and Didier Zokora, both of whom have emerged as two of the best defensive midfielders in not only La Liga, but in Europe. They are very similar in that both are able to drop back and help out the back line if needed or go forward to the attacking third of the pitch and provide service for their forwards if necessary.

While the Ivory Coast's "bread and butter", if you will, is its defensive midfield, the inclusion of Romaric in the roster could be the most important of Sven-Goran Eriksson's roster additions.

Romaric, who was not even on the roster for the Cup of Nations in January due to disciplinary reasons (under former manager Vahid Halilhodžić), is the most skilled midfielder at Eriksson's disposal.

On a team in desperate need of an attacking midfielder who can provide consistent service to the forwards, Romaric is extremely valuable because he fits that mold. Accustomed to providing Luis Fabiano with timely through balls and effective angles in Spain, he should be able to display his unique passing ability behind Drogba and Kalou as well.

Even though the Ivory Coast lacks another creative midfielder or two to help Romaric behind the forwards, the fact that the Elephants have a special amount of talent in front of goal should minimize that weakness.

With Drogba and Kalou, who play well side-by-side for both club and country, leading the way, the Ivorian attack has the potential to be the best in the World Cup, even better than the Luis Fabiano-Robinho and Fernando Torres-David Villa partnerships for Brazil and Spain, respectively.

Drogba, the Premier League Golden Boot winner for the 2009-10 campaign, is not only the Ivory Coast's best player, but also the team's captain and emotional leader. His Ivorian teammates view him as a calming presence and will look to him for confidence and resolve in pressure situations, not to mention goals. As he goes, his country goes.

However, the depth of the Ivorian attack should not be underestimated, with Bakari Koné, a regular for the Ivory Coast since 2005, and Aruna Dindane, who will lead his Portsmouth side against Chelsea in the upcoming FA Cup final on May 15, competing for that last attacking spot in Eriksson's 4-3-2-1 formation. Both should find it easy playing with the regulars, Drogba and Kalou.

However, despite the Ivory Coast bringing a talent-laden roster, from its sound back line to its star-studded attack, to South Africa, there is one glaring weakness that should not be overlooked. This one weakness is the goalkeeper position.

The first-string goalkeeper, Boubacar Barry, will keep his starting spot for the World Cup after gaining some much-needed experience in the Cup of Nations, but, in terms of big-game experience, he is far from reliable.

Playing for Sporting Lokeren OV against Belgian competition is not the same as playing against Portugal and Brazil in the first two matches of the World Cup, the biggest stage for international soccer. Barry's experience and ability between the posts will be in question constantly, in part because of the high expectations for the Ivory Coast this summer.

For Boubacar Barry, however, the encouraging thing is that there is an immense amount of talent in front of him, especially in the back line. He will be able to rely on the likes of Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué to bail him out of sticky situations in front of his net.

Oftentimes, defenders give their goalkeeper confidence and reassurance, and that is what the Ivory Coast is hoping for come June.

What This All Means

The announcement of this early roster only reinforces my belief that the Ivory Coast has enough talent, experience, and versatility to be one of the best teams in the World Cup. The Elephants should advance out of the group stage and make noise in the later rounds of the tournament.

Head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson not only has enough weapons in his arsenal to lead his Ivory Coast team deep into the tourney, but an opportunity to make a name for himself as one of the premier coaches at the international level.

The capable players on his roster should help put any questions about Eriksson's ability to win, or focus on his job, to rest. He has all the pieces he could have asked for to make us forget about his days at the head of England and Mexico in years past.

Leading up to the World Cup, the Ivory Coast is one of the smaller nations capable of making a run deep into the knockout stages. The Elephants have a load of talent on their roster that has the potential to upset the balance and knock out traditional tournament favorites come early July.

The Elephants travel to the southern tip of Africa having fallen out of the African Cup of Nations in the quarterfinal at the hands of Algeria. The surprising defeat in extra time early in the tournament, however, served merely as a minor setback for the Ivory Coast, which had already qualified before the Cup even started.

A more major setback for the Ivorians was suffered when the group draw for the World Cup was announced on December 4. The Ivory Coast is in the so-called “group of death” in 2010, competing against two soccer heavyweights, Portugal and Brazil.

Schedule

Portugal: June 15

Brazil: June 20

Korea: June 25

Expected to dispatch North Korea in the final match of Group G, the real test for the Ivory Coast will come in its first two matches. First, the Elephants will face off against Cristiano Ronaldo and an experienced Portugal squad in Port Elizabeth. The Portuguese national team barely qualified for the World Cup, having to compete in the qualifying play-offs, but is laden with world-class talent, headed by Ronaldo.

Then, five days later, the Elephants will battle one of the heavy favorites in this year’s field, Brazil. Led by Julio Cesar, Kaka, Robinho, and Luis Fabiano, the Brazilians have the speed, chemistry, and depth needed to go the distance. The Ivorian defensive line will have its hands full trying to slow down the Brazilian attack.

Despite the prowess of its star-studded opponents, the Ivory Coast has talent of its own that can match up against the big-name Portuguese and Brazilians. Both matches, as well as the final group match against the North Koreans, should be highly entertaining as both sides display their attacking ability.

Key Players

The Ivory Coast team is led by Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, the focal point of the Ivorian attack. The 32-year-old has compiled a staggering 43 goals in 66 national team appearances, including six goals in five World Cup qualifying matches this past year.

Drogba’s form has carried the Ivory Coast ever since he first appeared for his country in 2002 and, in order for the Elephants to compete in the group stage and beyond, their emotional leader and best player must be at his greatest.

Behind the team’s capable forwards, Drogba and his Blues teammate, Salomon Kalou, the Ivorian midfielders have the skill and touch to supply Drogba and Kalou with consistent service, but are especially adept at stifling opposing midfielders.

Didier Zokora of Sevilla and Yaya Touré of Barcelona, arguably the best pair of defensive midfielders in the tourney, head their line as they compete against the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, and Felipe Melo.

Continuing the stifling defensive mentality of the Ivorian midfield is the team’s defensive line, renowned for its speed and toughness in the back. While their most well-known defender is Kolo Touré of Manchester City, a physical stopper who accepts the challenge of marking the opponent’s best forwards, the Elephants are loaded with capable backs.

Stuttgart’s Arthur Boka and Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboué are just two serviceable defenders at coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s disposal.

The Ivory Coast has a variety of dependable players, from strikers to defenders, who have made names for themselves for the biggest clubs in the world. This will give the team much-needed experience on soccer’s biggest stage in South Africa.

Strengths and Weaknesses

There is no doubt that one of the Elephants’ biggest strengths is having a striker of Drogba’s caliber, who has proved that he can score in pressure situations for club and country. His goal-scoring record in the EPL and Champions League will give his fellow forwards confidence as they compete against the game’s best defenders.

An under-appreciated advantage that the team has is its aggressive defensive mentality. The Ivory Coast team possesses a collective understanding of the importance of aggressiveness off the ball and how it can disrupt even the best on-the-ball players (who the Ivorians will have to face). More importantly, though, Sven-Goran Eriksson has the players capable of executing this kind of defensive game plan.

One glaring weakness that the Ivory Coast must find a way to overcome is its lack of creative midfielders to support the defensive-minded ones already present. The Elephants do not have a Xavi or a Kaka that can break down opposing midfielders and deliver a well-timed pass to a striker in front of them.

They do not have a link between an attacking midfielder and a striker, unless Drogba drops back slightly behind Kalou. This, however, would minimize Drogba’s effectiveness in front of goal, and would ultimately minimize the team’s ability to score goals.

A more minor disadvantage could be a potential disconnect between the players and manager. Eriksson was only recently appointed manager of the team, after Vahid Halilhodžić was surprisingly fired in late February, so there has not been a consistency at the head of the team. It still remains to be seen whether Eriksson will connect with his players after having served only three months as manager.

It Would Be a Great World Cup If…

The Ivory Coast gets out of its group and reaches the quarterfinals. The Elephants are an extremely talented and explosive group that has the potential to challenge the likes of Brazil, Italy, or even the loaded Spanish side that they could very well meet in the second round.

Having been tabbed as a squad that could upset the favorites, it would be a successful World Cup campaign for the Elephants if that potential was realized and they made some noise in early July.

It Would Be a Disaster If…

The Ivory Coast struggled in its group and lost against both Portugal and Brazil. Even though the Ivorians are competing in the “group of death,” there is enough talent on their roster to be able to draw against Portugal, if not beat them.

If they fail to do so, and then lose to Brazil, as expected, there is little hope for them to reach even the second round. And, this, for a team with enough talent to reach the quarters, would be a huge disappointment, especially playing on its home continent.

My Prediction

It is difficult to predict how the Ivory Coast, a perennial African powerhouse, will do against the world’s best on the biggest possible stage. It could be a success, but it could very well be a disaster as well. The Elephants are that unpredictable.

However, the under-appreciated talent on their roster, as well as one of the game’s biggest stars, should be enough to carry the Elephants against the heavyweights. These two factors, as well as the obvious camaraderie exhibited by the starting eleven, will be crucial for the Ivorians as they travel around South Africa.

Considering that they are in such a tough group, a lot rides on how well the Elephants fare against Portugal and Brazil. If they get the needed results from these two matches, the Elephants will continue their march into the quarterfinals and beyond. If they do not, expect another early dismissal in the first round.

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s appointment to lead the Ivory Coast into the World Cup this summer is “a dream come true” according to Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, but it's a costly dream.

Though former England and Mexico boss Eriksson, 62, could earn £22,000 a day plus unlimited expenses for his three months in charge, Drogba believes, “Sven has come at the right time. There is no doubt he will succeed. I have every belief in his ability. He knows the game."

Yet it was Drogba, banned for two matches today over his antics when Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League a fortnight ago, who called for ex-boss Guus Hiddink to be appointed when Vahid Halihodzic left after the Ivorians qualified for the finals in South Africa.

There is widespread outrage over Eriksson’s typically vast remuneration. In a nation where the average salary amounts to a mere £3 a day, the Swede—last in charge at lowly Notts County in England's League Two—has been given a flat in London, a team credit card, unlimited expenses, and a salary of £270,000, plus a win bonus of £1.7m.

But to earn that bonus, Eriksson will have to negotiate a route past Brazil and Portugal, the teams that knocked his England side out in 2002 and 2006 at the quarterfinal stage. North Korea also feature in a tough Group G.

They will be based on the banks of the Vaal River, with qualifying matches in Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, and Nelspruit.

Drogba added,"For weeks we have been pondering going to the World Cup without a coach. Now I don't have to wake up every morning and think about the future of my team without a coach. We are going to South Africa to win big.

“This is not something I am saying alone. We can improve on our last World Cup in Germany. It has to be better this time around and I hope Sven provides us with that spirit and direction."

Ultimate success may not be a pipe-dream. The Ivorians are rated 22 in the world by FIFA.

Drogba, Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 24 goals, will be backed by brothers Kolo Toure (Manchester City) and Yaya Toure (Barcelona), Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboue, and Chelsea teammate Salomon Kalou in South Africa, where Sven will stay in luxury accommodation costing over £22,000.

Eriksson is no stranger to big pay packets. He racked up pay totalling £16 million after stints with Man City, Mexico, and Notts County since his last stint with England.

The details of his bonus?

On top of his basic £270,000 for three months, he will earn £180,000 bonus for qualification from Group G.

He will get another £270,000 for reaching the quarterfinals and £360,000 for the semis.

He will get £450,000 if Ivory Coast should reach the final at Soccer City on July 11 and another £450,000 if they actually achieve ultimate global conquest.

And all this for a man who admits he does not speak a word of French, the official language of the Cote d'Ivoire.

See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqck5JuZtuc

Countries around the world will be gearing up for World Cup glory this summer. South Africa will host 32 countries, all of whom will have the hopes of a nation wanting their team to lift the prestigious trophy.

All but five of the 18 previous World Cups have been won by teams from the host’s continent. Three of those victories came in the Americas, from Brazil winning in Mexico in 1970 and the USA in 1994, and Argentina also won in Mexico in 1986.

Brazil has been the only country to win the tournament outside the Americas and not being in the same continent as the host nation. Their victories date back to Sweden 1958, when 17-year-old superstar Pele was introduced to the world, and more recently the success in Korea/Japan in 2002.

With statistics like these, African fans around the world must be getting excited about their team's chances this summer. Not to mention Pele, who predicted an African team would win the World Cup by 2000.

Many people will forgive him for being 10 years late if an African team wins it this year.

The hopes of football fans from South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast will undoubtedly be passionate. The will for their teams to be successful  is paramount. However, spare a thought for the other 41 African nations watching their neighbours competing in South Africa—each willing on their African counterparts to show the world what African football is all about.

It isn’t just the fans you should sympathise with. Have a thought for the players representing not just their country, but also an entire continent. The pressure on this year’s group of African teams to succeed is tremendous.

We all know about global sensations Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Kolo Toure. They have been the high-profile players promoting African football for the past 10 years. Yet, with quality players playing in the top leagues around Europe, Ivory Coast and Cameroon have yet to reach beyond the quarterfinals.

Maybe this is the year that an African team wins the FIFA World Cup.

During Drogba’s early days playing international football, he never had a hitman of his calibre on his team. For youngsters like Salomon Kalou, Gervinho and Benjamin Angoua, who are entering their first World Cups, they now have what Drogba and Toure never had—veteran leadership and quality.

African squads are the strongest they’ve ever been. Overall, 27 African players, who just played for their countries in the recent African Cup of Nations, are contracted to premier league teams:

Algeria—Kamel Ghilas (Hull), Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda (Portsmouth)

Cameroon—Alexandre Song (Arsenal), Andre Bikey (Burnley), Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Spurs)

Ivory Coast—Emmanuel Eboué (Arsenal), Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Kolo Touré (Man City) and Aruna Dindane (Portsmouth)

Nigeria—Danny Shittu (Bolton), Mikel John Obi (Chelsea), Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Victor Anichebe (Everton), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham), Seyi Olofinjana (Hull) and Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth)

South Africa—Benni McCartney (Blackburn) and Steven Pineear (Everton)

Ghana—Michael Essien (Chelsea), John Paintsil (Fulham), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth), John Mensah (Sunderland) and Richard Kingson (Wigan)

 With home field advantage, more experience and battle-tested players, combined with talented youth, the 2010 World Cup may be very memorable for Africa.

The 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying draw was made this past weekend for the tournament to be held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, an exciting prospect for two countries that have never hosted a sporting event of this magnitude.

The qualifying process is as follows: the 11 group winners and the three best runners up will qualify directly to the Cup of Nations.

However, the draw and this tournament are still being overshadowed by the ban to the Togolese national team (for my thoughts on this, please see my previous article). The excitement over this draw has completely been sucked away as Togo have been unfairly excluded from the draw while the rest of the world knows the draw is invalid.

In protest over the exclusion of Togo from this draw and because once their ban is overturned there will need to be a new qualifying draw, I am going to simply keep my commentary to a minimum.

Group One : Mali , Cape Verde, Zimbabwe, Liberia

Mali will be pleased with their draw with Cape Verde being one of the weakest teams of out Pot Two and should easily qualify with Zimbabwe finishing in the second spot. Too much parity among the other three to have the runners up qualify directly.

Group Two : Nigeria , Guinea, Ethiopia, Madagascar

Nigeria will expect to qualify comfortably out of this group, while Guinea will have the belief that they can take a point off Nigeria in Conarky and then run the table on the others in order to grab a runners up qualifying berth.

Group Three : Zambia , Mozambique, Libya, Comoros

This is a very tricky group for the top three teams, while Comoros will look to keep scores below double digits. Look for a resurgent Mozambique and Libya to push Zambia all the way, but a determined Zambia to just grab top spot.


Group Four : Algeria , Morocco, Tanzania, Central Africa Republic

A mouthwatering North African derby between Algeria and Morocco is the highlight of this group where both teams should qualify with Algeria as the top dogs in the group and Morocco in one of the best runners up.

Group Five : Cameroon , Senegal, Congo DR, Mauritius

The group that will be labeled the ‘Group of Death’ with powerhouses Cameroon, perennial underachievers Congo DR and a Senegalese squad that will be eager to get back to their glory days. There is too much parity here for a best runners up spot to be awarded, so look for Cameroon to grab the only qualifying berth.

Group Six : Burkina Faso , Gambia, Namibia, Mauritania

Burkina Faso will be thrilled with a draw that gives them a strong chance of progressing to the finals where their biggest challenge will come from a young, but talented Gambia side. Expect the Burkinabe to qualify comfortably in the top spot.

Group Seven : Egypt , South Africa, Sierra Leone, Niger

A heavyweight clash between Egypt and South Africa is the highlight of this group, while everyone will be expecting the reigning African champions to progress. If South Africa can navigate their way through Sierra Leone better than their last campaign, look for Bafana Bafana to grab a best runners up berth out of this group.

Group Eight : Cote d’Ivoire , Benin, Rwanda, Burundi

Cote d’Ivoire will be face their West African brothers Benin in this group and will expect to progress comfortably. Expect Benin to give a real run for one of the best runners up berths.

Group Nine : Ghana , Congo, Sudan, Swaziland

Ghana will be jumping for joy with this draw and will be expected to come away with six wins. Congo and Sudan will battle it out for second.

Group 10 : Angola , Uganda, Kenya, Guinea-Bissau

Angola could have done better with their draw as they have recently struggled against Uganda, but will be seeking revenge here. Kenya proved in their last campaign they could be tricky as well. Uganda and Kenya will push Angola all the way, but if healthy Angola should prevail.

Group 11 : Tunisia, Malawi, Chad, Botswana

Tunisia will also be very pleased with their draw as their major competition will come in the form of minnows Malawi, who did have an impressive 2010 Cup of Nations. The Flames will struggle to keep up with the Carthage Eagles and end up battling with Botswana for second spot.

Three best runners-up

Morocco

South Africa

Guinea

The match pitting two World Cup bound teams began with both coaches putting forth different lineups than they did in their last group encounters. On the Elephants side, Guy Demel was in for the suspended Emmanuel Eboue while Algeria’s ranks were reinforced by the return of Antar Yahia in the centre of defence.

After an opening few minutes where Algeria were passing the ball about confidently, it was the Ivorians who surprised everyone by scoring on their first attack of the game. Salomon Kalou was put through clear on goal when Toure Yaya’s effort was deflected off of Madjid Bougherra. The Chelsea forward didn’t refuse the gift and scored easily from close range.

That early opener ensured that the game would not be a cagey affair since the North Africans pressed on to get back on level terms while Cote d’Ivoire searched for the killer blow. The Fennecs’ willingness to go forward was leaving space at the back that was not taken advantage of by their opponents who, nevertheless, looked the more dangerous of the two sides.

A mix up in midfield then led to an Ivorian counter that could have ended in a penalty kick for a foul on Didier Drogba, but the Seychellian referee thought otherwise. Algeria then gained more and more possession as time went on thanks to some good play from Karim Ziani but they weren’t testing Boubacar Copa Barry on most of their attacks.

In the 31^st minute they finally gave him some trouble when he had to go full stretch to intercept an inviting Belhadj cross. However, on the 39^th minute Algeria finally got a clear chance on goal and, just like their opponents did, they scored on their first attempt. Karim Matmour did the honors as he got on the end of a long ball and unleashed an unstoppable shot from just inside the penalty area.

During the final minutes of the period, both teams traded attacks with neither being able to reap goals from their respective opportunities and the half finished on a 1-1 scoreline.

After the break, it was Algeria that got off the blocks quicker thanks to a blunder from Tiene that could have been costly, but the danger was cleared into a corner kick. The Elephants replied with a counter attack on the next play launched by the lively Gervinho however Kalou could not get the better of Yazid Mansouri.

Matmour could have doubled his goal account in the 54^th minute when Mourad Meghni found him with a delightful chip pass however his attempt at a full volley flew well over the crossbar. Shortly after Matmour set up Mansouri for a long range shot that also missed the frame.

Saloman Kalou almost put his team back on top after erasing two defenders off the dribble but he saw his strike go to the wrong side of Chaouchi’s post. He and Gervinho were looking the most likely to make the difference as both were causing Algerian defenders great difficulty every time they got the ball.

The game was a balanced affair but Matmour should have put his team ahead when he pounced on a mistake in central defence and was one on one with Barry, yet the glovesman was equal to the shot.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes, Halilhodzic put on Kader Keita for Kalou in search of better offensive solutions. The Galatasaray player made an instant impact by bamboozling two Algerian players in his own half before expertly releasing Gervinho into space, but the Lille player put his shot over the crossbar despite only having the keeper to beat.

Keita took initiative once more shortly later, this time deciding to shoot from 35 yards and managing to score what may well turn out to be the goal of the tournament. As if that wasn’t dramatic enough, Algeria equalized almost immediately after when Bougherra was found by Belhadj in front of Barry’s goal.

Extra time got underway with Hameur Bouazza replacing Mourad Meghni in the Fennecs’ lineup while Cote d’Ivoire’s team was unchanged. The move proved to be a masterstroke as the substitute was the one to score on a header after an inch perfect cross from Ziani. Halilhodzic then made his final change of the night, replacing Zokora with Aruna Dindane in the hopes of getting back on level terms.

Didier Drogba came close to getting on the score sheet but Chaouchi did well to parry his thunderous drive. The goalkeeper aggravated a pre-existing injury on the play and seemed like he was going to be substituted but then decided he wanted to play on and fight through the pain.

When the second fifteen minute period kicked off, it was Algeria that ended up wasting the knockout punch on two successive plays, the first of which Abdelkader Ghezzal contrived to miss a volley from point blank range.

The West Africans were struggling as they had no choice but to push most of their players forward but that was playing right into Algeria’s counter attacking strategy. Chaouchi was once again injured and a lengthy stoppage in play ensued during which he was accused of time wasting by some of his opponents.

Kolo Toure then scored an equalizer in stoppage time that was incorrectly ruled offside by the linesman to cap off a dramatic evening in Cabinda that eventually saw Algeria reach its first continental Semi Final in ten years.

SOURCE: http://goal.com/en/news/815/african-nations-cup/2010/01/24/1759555/cote-divoire-2-3-algeria-fennecs-oust-elephants-in-thriller