As I mentioned earlier, this could be Didier Drogba's World Cup. In many ways, he should own it. And it looks like he is going to try, broken arm dragging behind him.
Now don't get me wrong, The Ivory Coast have a very talented squad top-to-bottom, but Drogba is their heart and soul, and in addition to being their most talented player, he plays the position where they have the least depth. Salomon Kalou and Gervinho are both good players, and will be very dangerous on the wings either side of Drogba, but neither is well-suited to lead the line. If Drogba cannot play, that task will fall to Aruna Dindane, who has previously scored in the World Cup, and is coming off a solid season with Portsmouth of the English Premier League. But he is 5 feet 9 inches tall, not exactly the towering figure you want battling the likes of Lucio and Carvalho.
Sven Goran Erickson has recently taken charge of the Ivory Coast, and he will have his work cut out for him. His group of big name stars at major European clubs have disappointed in several tournaments. If Sven can get them out of a very difficult group, especially without Drogba being fit, he will go a long way towards rehabilitating his reputation.
Everything else aside, this team should be entertaining to watch. I fear they will once again underperform, putting a big scare into Portugal and Brazil before eventually heading home, their golden generation well on its way to retirement with no notable achievements to show for their trouble.
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