Cote d’Ivoire– Rising stars of Africa

Cote d’Ivoire are major newcomers in the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany. However, they head to Germany in June hoping to raise a few eyebrows just like fellow West African country, Senegal, did when they featured in the Japan/Korea World Cup in 2002.

The Elephants, as they are normally called, qualified for this year’s competition coming through a very tough group that included the likes of Cameroon (with five consecutive appearances in the World Cup Finals), Egypt (two appearances in World Cup Finals), Sudan and Libya. Cote d’Ivoire’s only major achievement to date is CAF African Nations Cup title they won in Senegal in 1992.

The Elephants started their qualifying campaign winning four games and loosing just one in their opening five matches, which included a surprising 2-1 triumph over Egypt in Cairo. Also, the build up to the crucial encounter with Egypt was marred by the death of their assistant coach Mama Quattara who collapsed during a training session. The grieving Ivorians promised to qualify for the World Cup to honour his memory.

The second half of their qualifying campaign saw them lead the group for a while but this was cut back by a lacklustre display against Libya in Tripoli. They drew the match 0-0. However, they still managed to keep ahead of the Cameroonians. The penultimate match against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon was billed as the group’s final and the Elephants were favourites to go through. However, the Indomitable Lions won the tie 3-2 in a very tense match in Abidjan.

The result meant that the Elephants’ destiny was no more in their own hands and only a miracle would see them through to the World Cup Finals in Germany. In the final group matches, they had an away game left against Sudan whilst the Indomitable Lions also had a home game against Egypt. At this point, Cameroon had a point advantage against Cote d’Ivoire. So, Cote d’Ivoire simply had to win their away match and hope for good news from Yaoundé. As destiny would have it, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire beat Sudan 3-1 and Cameroon could only manage a draw in Yaoundé against Egypt, who conceded a last minute penalty that Cameroon failed to convert.

Cote d’Ivoire got their wish to grace the World Cup Finals in Germany with an exceptional set of footballers who for their part were groomed at an academy set up by Jean-Marc Guillou on the outskirts of Abidjan. The likes of Kolo Toure, Aruna Didane, Didier Zokora, Barry Copa and Arthur Boka all learnt their football trade at Guillou’s academy, form the backbone of this enterprising footballing side. Didier Drogba the star man and captain of the Elephants gained his footballing education in France via clubs like Levallouis, Le Mans, Guingamp and Marseille before his big money, money move to Chelsea.

Didier Drogba’s partnership with Aruna Didane has proved very prolific in the African Zone qualifiers and between them scored 15 goals. That, added to the valuable offensive contributions of Bonaventure Kalou, has made the Elephants one of the most potent attacking forces in African football. In the middle of the park, the likes Yaya Toure (younger brother of Kolo Toure), Didier Zokara, Kanga Akale, Emersea Fae, Yapi Yapo all possess the footballing skills to shield a defensive unit marshalled by the partnership of Kolo Toure and Cyrille Domoraud. French coach, Henri Michel, who has already led African teams (France, Cameroon and Tunisia) to three previous World Cup Finals has been given the task to guide this formidable team to their first World Cup Finals.

Finally, they have been placed in a nightmare group alongside Argentina, Holland, and Serbia & Montenegro, so face a very uphill task negotiating their passage to the group stages. But with an experienced team who all ply their trade in Europe and an experienced campaigner like Henri Michel to guide them, the Elephants will be looking to make their mark at the World Cup Finals in Germany.