Eldickson Agbortogo
29 January 2008
It seems to be the hour for the legion of Ivorian players plying their trade in the best leagues in Europe . Their presence has made the Elephants of Ivory Coast the most competitive team at the current African Nations Cup. From the defence to attack, the Ivorians can boast of the finest quality of players any coach might wish to have.
In terms of achievements the Ivorians have won the trophy only once, when they beat Ghana 1992 on penalties 11-10. That was during the era of Gadji Selli, Aka Koame, Joel Tiehi etc. Today, a new generation has seen the light of day in Ivory Coast commanded by Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. Drawn in group B along side Nigeria , Benin and Mali , the Ivorians have so far scored two victories after two matches thus, becoming the first team to qualify for the knock-out phase of the competition.
During their third and last group game today in Accra , the Elephants will be out for a one hundred percent win. But this will however not be an easy task as their opponents-The Eagles of Mali are no pushovers. After a victory and a draw, they are currently occupying second position on the unofficial group B table with four points. A draw at the end of today's West African clash will sail them through. To do this, the Malians who were absent from the Egyptian expedition, would be counting on an experience international class of European based players amongst whom are Frederic Kanoute, Mohammed Sissoko, Dramane Toure, Mahamadou Diarra.
Since 1969, both teams have met 17 times, registering 11 wins for the Ivorians as against one for Mali and five draws. In case of a defeat, the Malians will anxiously rely on the results of the match between Nigeria versus Benin, which will be played simultaneously. If Nigeria wins, the highest goals scored rule will be applied to decide which team joins the Ivory Coast for the second round.
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