IBAF African-Nations-Cup 2006 Blog - PREVIEWS > Group A

Almost at every Nations Cup. One time winner 1992. Tradition of spectacular football.
Europe comparisons: population and football level: Netherlands
Clubs: near top in Africa
Squad: all professionals at Europe. Most coming from a perfect education plan including an academy system at Abidjan and a second education phase at the Belgian club Beveren.
Coach: European. (Henri Michel, experienced World Cup coach with France, Cameroon, and Morocco).

On World level there are two African teams today which could go real far in a World Cup (considered they have the luck the Côte d’Ivoire did not have at the draw for Germany). Those two are Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire. What the Ivorians lack is only the experience as a world level team. Apart from that they are already short before overtaking Cameroon which have to be ranked that high despite the World Cup failure, but who lack the depth of the academy educated classes the West Africans now have.

How intense the focus of the Ivorian players will be on the African championship with World Cup matches against Argentina, Netherlands, and Serbia on the horizon remains to be seen. Being only a one time winner (1992) it will not be low.

Stars: Drogba (Chelsea), Kolo Touré (Arsenal). Future stars: Yaya Touré (Olympiakos), a huge midfielder, resembling Viera, a little less dynamic but with huge technical and passing skills. Didier Zokora ‘Maestro’ (St.Etienne), defensive midfielder, either in the scope of every big European clubs or at least perfectly marketed by his management.
Conspicuous: Arthur Boka (Strassburg), a Roberto Carlos clone on the left, Yapi Yapo (Nantes), a midfielder with vision, Kalou (PSG), Dindane (Lens) and almost every player in the attacking department which could be easily filled for two World Cup squads (Aruna Koné, Bakari Koné, Kanga Akale, and those who will not be at Egypt like Abdelkader Keita (Lille), Cedric Konan (Lecce), Bakayoko (Livorno), Sanoo (Kaiserslautern), etc, etc).