January 27th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
Vahid Halilhodži?, take note: if you can’t defend, then goals are worthless. In an enthralling encounter, Algeria toppled pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast with a goal from Blackpool star Hameur Bouazza just two minutes into extra time. Karim Matmour had earlier cancelled out Saloman Kalou’s opener, before Majid Bougherra nodded in after Kader Keita’s spectacular strike.
In [...]
January 23rd, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
If there was a ‘perfect’ time to live up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites, it is now. After years of African Nations pain, the ‘Elephants’ – and their golden generation – are looking to win their first major trophy since 1992, starting with a win against Algeria to propel themselves into a semi-final slot.
After [...]
January 18th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
Who cares if Ghana were severely depleted? Ivoirian Coach Vahid Halilhodži? certainly doesn’t, after the ‘Elephants’ triumphed 3-1, becoming the first side to qualify for the quarter-finals in the process. Despite being reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Emmanuel Eboue, the Ivory Coast dominated the ‘Black Stars’ from start to finish, with goals [...]
January 16th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
So many African shirts now incorporate the ‘paintbrush’ effect. African Cup of Nations hosts Angola are a prime example, as are Tunisia. And after the release of their new away shirt, the Ivory Coast are the latest team to follow the recent trend. Manufactured by Puma – a dominant force in the African market – [...]
January 14th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
If the Ivory Coast’s tournament so far could be summed up in one word, it would be wasteful. After failing to convert numerous goal scoring opportunities against Burkina Faso, Vahid Halilhodži?’s side go into their encounter with Ghana knowing defeat could result in the unthinkable; a group exit.
And the ‘Black Stars’ are hardly the side [...]
January 13th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
To say the Ivory Coast ‘couldn’t hit a barn door’ against Burkina Faso is a bit of an understatement. Whilst the Burkinabe should be praised for their courageous defensive qualities, the fact that the ‘Elephants’ didn’t muster a single goal from seventeen attempts outlines how wasteful they were, after a sluggish performance left them in [...]
January 10th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
Following a deadly attack on the Togolese team coach in Cabinda, causing Hubert Velud’s side to withdraw from the African Cup of Nations, Group B now only contains three sides: the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Ghana. With two nations progressing, a win for the Ivory Coast over Burkina Faso could prove to be decisive [...]
January 8th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
Most of the pundits covering this years’ African Cup of Nations, including BBC Sport’s Piers Edwards, have a generalised view that the Ivory Coast have a bright chance of success. It isn’t just the teams’ prospects that look bright though….
With a shirt like this, the Ivoirians’ won’t be getting lost in the dark anytime soon…
Some [...]
January 5th, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
When the Ivory Coast manager Vahid Halilhodži? announced his squad for the forthcoming African Cup of Nations, there were few surprises. In fact, there were none. The Bosnian maestro, as expected, has named an exciting group of players, comprising of some of the biggest names in African football: Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, and Kolo Toure.
With [...]
January 1st, 2010 by rushden-till-i-die
Ever since Didier Drogba’s equaliser restored parity in their qualification clash with Malawi, almost nineteen million ‘Elephants’ have been looking forward to the 2010 African Cup of Nations. And why shouldn’t they? Arguably entitled as pre-tournament favourites, the Ivory Coast, or Cote d’Ivoire as some like to say, can be labelled as an entertaining, star-studded [...]