We continue our analysis of the Group C options with a look at Ivory Coast. In what’s regarded as one of the most open of the eight groups, Sabri Lamouchi’s men open their campaign with a showdown against Japan on Sunday June 15 at 5pm before taking on Colombia four days later at 5pm, then squaring up to Greece in a potentially decisive final group match on Tuesday June 24 at 9pm:
Road to Qualification
In a group containing Morocco, Gambia and Tanzania, The Elephants won four and drew two of their six matches. Finishing top with 15 goals scored, five conceded and a couple of clean sheets accrued, they then defeated Senegal 4-2 in a two-legged play-off to seal their passage into next month’s tournament.
Most Starts Boubacar Barry (8), Salomon Kalou, Gervinho (7), Yaya Toure, Cheick Tiote (6), Didier Drogba, Didier Zakora (5)
Most Goals Salomon Kalou (5), Yaya Toure (4), Didier Drogba, Wilfried Bony (3)
The Key Targets
The Ivorians arrive on the back of an impressive 2-2 friendly draw with Belgium, though the game once again exposed their defensive limitations. Former Spurs midfielder Didier Zakora and Kolo Toure (both 5.1 in FantasyiTeam) were the central defensive pairing that evening in March, though Lamouchi also has the option of Sol Bamba should he move the former into a sitting role in front of the back-four.
An unimpressive clean sheet record in qualifying suggests defensive returns look rather doubtful, though elsewhere in defence, Serge Aurier offers a greater attacking threat that fellow full-back Arthur Boka – the highly-rated 21-year-old notched six goals and six assists for Ligue 1 side Toulouse and has been linked with a move to Arsenal due to Bacary Sagna’s expected absence. Available for a mere 4.6 in FantasyiTeam compared to Boka’s 5.0, Aurier is the bargain buy at the back.
In the centre of the park, Zakora will vie with Cheick Tiote, Serey Die and Romaric for the defensive midfield berths, though their appeal is minimal in comparison to Yaya Toure. The most advanced of the central three, the City man notched four times in qualifying and arrives on the back of his extraordinary 20-goal season – unsurprisingly, he’s highly priced in FantasyiTeam, setting you back 7.3.
Up top, Didier Drogba remains the main man. The former Chelsea striker netted three times in five appearances during qualifying and is number one spot-kick taker ahead of Toure – he fired a late penalty equaliser against Morocco last September when the City midfielder was on the pitch. Drogba’s physical presence could be a real problem for the Japanese in the final group game, in particular, though he’s far from budget-friendly at 8.9 in FantasyiTeam.
Whilst Drogba is likely to be the favoured Ivory Coast forward amongst Fantasy managers, both Salomon Kalou and Gervinho (available for 7.6 and 7.8 respectively in FantasyiTeam) carry exceptional form into next month’s tournament and may prove a cannier acquisition. Kalou – the top scorer in qualification with five strikes – scored 16 goals and provided six assists for Lille in the season gone by, while Gervinho produced nine goals and 10 assists for Roma and looks vastly-improved from the player that struggled at Arsenal.
The Long Shot
Wilfried Bony is uncertain to start but, if he brings his domestic form to the competition, will surely offer a threat off the bench at the very least. The Swansea striker netted in three of his five group games and with 17 goals in his debut year in the Premier League, will be feeling a little unlucky if he fails to nail down a role in Lamouchi’s XI. Coming in at 8.6 in FantasyiTeam, he may be a punt too far.
Further Analysis
Group A – Brazil,Cameroon, Croatia, Mexico
Group B – Australia, Chile, Holland, Spain
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