Elephants need goals against DPRK
Thursday, 24 June 2010
NELSPRUIT, June 23 (AFP): Ivory Coast are hoping for another North Korean defensive meltdown in their final Group G match here Friday if they are to avoid another early African exit at the World Cup.
Didier Drogba's Elephants must register a comprehensive win over the North Koreans at the Mbombela Stadium and hope group leaders Brazil punish Portugal in Durban for them to have even a remote prospect of reaching the last 16.
Ivory Coast's fate is out of their hands after their 3-1 loss to the Brazilians at Soccer City, exacerbated by Portugal's 7-0 blitz of the hapless Asians in Cape Town.
The Elephants are conceding a massive nine goal difference to second-placed Portugal heading into Friday's decisive group matches, and the odds and logic are firmly stacked against them.
Their only recourse is to deluge the North Koreans with goals with Drogba, the Chelsea superstar, leading the way.
"It's going to be hard for us to qualify now because our fate's no longer in our hands," said Drogba, who is playing his way back to full fitness after breaking his right arm in a warm-up match and is wearing a controversial protective cast.
Ivory Coast defender Arthur Boka says his team needs a miracle if it is to reverse Africa's lack of success at South Africa 2010, with the hosts, Cameroon and Nigeria already eliminated from the tournament.
"If we win this match maybe a miracle can happen," Boka said. "We will try to win our last match and we must believe we can still do it (reach the last 16)."
Manchester City defender Kolo Toure said for Ivory Coast to have any chance they must be more clinical in front of goal.
"We need to be a bit more clinical and do a better job of finishing off some of the counter-attacks than we have," Toure said.
"We can't afford to waste counter-attacks like we did against Brazil, it's unforgivable.
"We've got no margin for error in our next match, we need to be more compact and put away our chances."
Didier Drogba's Elephants must register a comprehensive win over the North Koreans at the Mbombela Stadium and hope group leaders Brazil punish Portugal in Durban for them to have even a remote prospect of reaching the last 16.
Ivory Coast's fate is out of their hands after their 3-1 loss to the Brazilians at Soccer City, exacerbated by Portugal's 7-0 blitz of the hapless Asians in Cape Town.
The Elephants are conceding a massive nine goal difference to second-placed Portugal heading into Friday's decisive group matches, and the odds and logic are firmly stacked against them.
Their only recourse is to deluge the North Koreans with goals with Drogba, the Chelsea superstar, leading the way.
"It's going to be hard for us to qualify now because our fate's no longer in our hands," said Drogba, who is playing his way back to full fitness after breaking his right arm in a warm-up match and is wearing a controversial protective cast.
Ivory Coast defender Arthur Boka says his team needs a miracle if it is to reverse Africa's lack of success at South Africa 2010, with the hosts, Cameroon and Nigeria already eliminated from the tournament.
"If we win this match maybe a miracle can happen," Boka said. "We will try to win our last match and we must believe we can still do it (reach the last 16)."
Manchester City defender Kolo Toure said for Ivory Coast to have any chance they must be more clinical in front of goal.
"We need to be a bit more clinical and do a better job of finishing off some of the counter-attacks than we have," Toure said.
"We can't afford to waste counter-attacks like we did against Brazil, it's unforgivable.
"We've got no margin for error in our next match, we need to be more compact and put away our chances."