While the citizens of this proud African state don’t have much to smile or root for these days - the upcoming representatives in the FIFA World Cup will give the politically oppressed citizens something to look forward to.
The Ivory Coast is slightly bigger than New Mexico, but it’s football fans have thoughts of another Cameroon type (huge) upset from this squad in Germany.
The squad, despite having to overcome many obstacles that our wealthy Western nations take for granted, draws inspiration from the Cameroon team from Africa - that went all the way to the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals, a first for the nation.
With players like Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure and Bonaventure Kalou and a team ranked 32nd in the World, this tiny country with a life expectancy of under 50 years of age could just simply be happy they are here in such a premiere event. Happy yes, satisfied, no way, as Didier Zokora stated - his team wants to show the rest of the World how far African football has come and that they want to leave behind another African legacy.
The team is young and with its attack game looking ready to grind it out through the Group stage starting June 10th against potent Argentina, a team that was shocked by the Cameroons - they have what it takes to score, but the knock is it’s defense. It’s not so much the inability to play on their own side of half, but it’s lack of being together for a long time, like most other nations have. This is but another example of the remarkable achievement of this tormented country for just qualifying for this tournament, their lack of togetherness and practice as a team does not deter the determination of the squad.
(You can back the Ivorians at odds as high as 80/1. Two sports bookmakers currently offer them at that price, BetFred and Bet365 . We recommend them both for World Cup betting.)
This is the first time that The Ivory Coast has qualified for the World Cup and the team has brought so much joy to the people of Abidjan, they want this experience to be unforgettable. And that means, earning a berth through the Group process. They open against Argentina and then meet the Netherlands June16 and Serbia and Montenegro in their final group match on June 21st in Munich.
Tottenham v Blackburn - Match Preview - 19 November 2006
Two sides looking for something to spark their seasons clash at Ewood Park on Sunday as 15th-place Blackburn hosts 12th-place Tottenham.
Rovers are favored to win at home at 2.50, and Spurs are set at 3.00. A draw is rated at 3.30.
Blackburn fought hard, but were shut out 1-0 at home by Manchester United last weekend. Blackburn were outshot 16-10, and were booked four times in the fixture.
Robbie Keane's 24th-minute penalty was not enough as Spurs were beaten 3-1 at Reading in their last league match. Spurs led in both shots and possession, but their defence could not hold firm.
Tottenham have won five and drawn twice of their past ten matches with Rovers, who hold a 10-9 lead in goals scored.
The Ivory Coast is slightly bigger than New Mexico, but it’s football fans have thoughts of another Cameroon type (huge) upset from this squad in Germany.
