... And bring the World Cup to the continentWith fellow finalists and traditional giants Nigeria and Cameroon, now a pale shadow of the sides that shone in previous tournaments, observers say that the Elephants stand the most realistic chance of an African team making this the African World Cup.
Featuring reigning African Footballer of the Year, Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Eboue, Salomon Kalou, Aruna Dindane and the Toure brothers – Kolo and Yaya, the West Africans are on paper the best that the continent can ask for. They have some of the worlds toughest defenders, tenacious midfielders and lethal strikers seemingly capable of taking them, and indeed the rest of the continent, to the Biblical Promised Land.
However, there are quite a number of factors calling upon Africa not to pin much of its hopes on the Ivorians, as this might result in heartbreak for a continent seeking representation beyond the quarterfinals of the worlds most prestigious soccer competition, where Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002) have already been.
Despite all the big name-players in their squad, the Ivory Coast have seldom lived up to the huge expectations they have always built going into major competitions and thus, cannot be trusted to solely carry African hope in this World Cup either.
Exuding unstinting ruthlessness, especially in qualifiers against continental minnows like Madagascar, Botswana and Malawi, Les lphants have buckled embarrassingly against fellow big teams in major tournaments and it is no coincidence that they have won the African Nations Cup only once in their 18 appearances that triumph coming as far as 18 years ago.
Their best AFCON achievement in recent years was when they lost to Egypt in a penalty shoot-out of the 2006 finals. They were clobbered 4-1 by the same opponents in the semi-finals of the 2008 edition and eventually settled for fourth place, after losing 4-2 to hosts Ghana in the third place play-offs.
Carrying much promise and again being tipped to win the event this year, the Ivorians threw away their favourites tag, when they lost 3-2 to fellow World Cup finalists, Algeria to bow out of Angola 2010.
Interestingly, the Ivorians fall has usually followed hard on the heels of a great achievement, something that makes them an inconsistent side that cannot keep momentum, but flatters to deceive.
On the eve of their AFCON exit this year, they had thrashed Ghana 3-1 in their last group match, just like they had clobbered Guinea 5-0 in the quarterfinals before their embarrassing 4-1 semi-final loss to Egypt in the 2008 edition. In 2006, they lost in the final after beating fellow pre-tournament favourites Nigeria, 1-0 in the semi-finals.
Perhaps the punishment meted on the side after the 2000 edition of the continental competition should aptly sum up how they are viewed even in their home nation a huge disappointment. After the team had bowed out in the first round of a group won by Cameroon and Ghana, government sent the entire squad to the military barracks, where they were detained for two days as punishment for embarrassing the nation and threatened with military drills should they repeat that.
The Elephants big name players have also failed to transform the form they have shown in their European clubs to their national team in major competitions, with even their captain Drogba, arguably the best finisher in the world, managing a single goal in this years AFCON competition and so far, having failed to win the AFCON Golden Boot, something he has done with ease in Europe.
Against such a background, can Africa really trust Ivory Coast to wake up from their deep slumber, live up to their billing and put up a good show in this years World Cup? This will be The Elephants second ever appearance in the competition, after cutting their teeth in the 2006 edition, where they managed only one win (3-2) against lowly Serbia and Montenegro, lost 2-1 to each of Netherlands and Argentina to crash out of the competition in the first round.
Another factor that stakes the odds against the Ivorians, and probably the biggest going into this years World Cup, is the kind of opposition they are coming against in Group G where they will battle against time winners Brazil, 2006 semi-finalists Portugal and Korea DPR.
On June 15, Drogba and his fellow troops will have to contend with the pace, skill and accuracy of Protugals 2008 World Player of the Year, Christiano Ronaldo and the intelligence of Deco at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, before they come up against the tenacity of relentless drive of Kaka, the tenacity of Robinho, the scoring prowess of Luis Fabian and albeit by chance, the mazy runs and wit of Ronaldinho in Brazilian colours at Soccer City five days later. Their fate might have already been decided when they face the Koreans at Mbombela Stadium on June 20, if they do not rise to the occasion.
Swedish-born coach Sven Goran Erikson, who replaced Vahid Halilhodzic as Ivory Coast coach soon after the AFCON, has also not had it easy against both Brazil and Portugal, the latter knocking him out of the 2006 World Cup in the quarterfinal stage when he was still England Coach.
Add to that the fact that Brazil has also not conceded a goal against African opposition for years in the World Cup and you have a toll order for the Ivorians. However, Egypt, who rattled the net three times against Brazil in their (4-3) Confederations Cup loss and the USA, who scored two early goals in their (3-2) loss in the final of the same tournament last year, showed that the Samba Boys are not that watertight and if Drogba rediscovers his scoring touch in national colours, Ivory Coast do have a chance.
Soccer can be full of surprises and The Elephants cannot be ruled out on merely their past performances and the Group of Death they are placed in, but are they ready to shake off their African Holland tag and give Africa something to celebrate?
Post published in: Football