Is Cote D’Ivoire still the favourite?

A team with the celebrated Chelsea star-player, Didier Drogba, leading the attack is certainly the choice of the pundits in any major African competition like the African Cup of Nations.

And if the squad also include Kolo Toure of Manchester City, Emmanuel Eboue, Arsenal; Aruna Dindane, Portsmouth, Yaya Toure, Barcelona; Bakary Kone, Olympique Marseille and of course Didier Zokora, another top European side, Servilla, then plaudits of being the hot chase of the pack do seem legitimate and clear as the day light shine.

Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast Captain, and his Chelsea team mate, Kolo Toure

But after the opening match of the group against Burkina Faso, the script is about to be re-written. The Ivorian laboured in a rather highly tactical match against their West African neighbours.

And when one considers the fact that the Ivorians beat the Burkinabes both in the away and home duels during the qualifiers, then one should consider the fact that perhaps La Cote d’ Ivoire is yet to reach the point that many had anticipated.

The barren draw should rather be a flattery to the Ivorians than anything else. They could not create any decent chance and if the Burkinabes had realized some self belief as the Malians did in the dramatic 4-4 comeback against host-Angola, a different story would have unfolded.

With the pull out of Togo from the competition, group B has become much dicey than people had anticipated. The Ivorians have a Herculean task in the next game against Ghana. Only a win can guarantee their stay in the completion.

But with the stuff exhibited in the first match, Ivory Coast will have to play against a determined Ghanaian youth side that is so hungry for success.

Unlike Burkina Faso, Ghana’s character is often manifested in their self-belief and the can-do attitude, especially at a time that Kwadwo Asamoah, Asamoah Gyan, Agyemang Badu, Dominic Adiyiah, Ransford Osei, Samuel Inkoom, Andre Morgan Dede Ayew, Rahim Ayew, Opoku Agyemang, Moussa Narry and others would want to stake a claim for themselves.

The Ivorians may be fooled into thinking that without heartbeat performers like Stephen Appiah, Sulley Ali Muntari, John Mensah and Paintsil, and Laryea Kingston, the Ghanaian scare cannot be that threatening.

The stuff so far exhibited by the youngsters in the pre-tournament preparation is a clear manifestation that the Ghanaian strength is gradually shifting from the Essiens to the youngsters mentioned.

Perhaps the Ivorians would need another time to replicate the vintage African Cup winning squad of the Abdoulaye Traores, Sekou Bambas, Ackah Kouames, Alan Guammenes, Didier Otokores, Gadji Cellis, Oumar Ben Sallahs and others in 1992.

The Ivorians disappointed their countrymen in the last tournament when everything pointed to an Elephants triumph. They bundled out at the semi-final match against eventual winners-Egypt.  Ghana also denied them a consolation in the fourth-place match by beating them, 4-2.

Ivory Coast also lost the finals of the 2006 through penalties and eventually settled for silver in that competition.