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Group G: Ivory Coast 3, North Korea 0

Ivory Coast: Yaya Toure 14, Romaric 20, Kalou 82.

Korea DPR starting line-up: (5-3-1-1)

1-Ri Myong-guk;

2-Cha Jong-hyok, 13-Pak Chol-jin, 3-Ri Jun-il, 8-Ji Yun-nam, 5-Ri Kwang-chon; 11-Mun In-guk, 17-An Yong-hak, 4-Pak Nam-chol;

10-Hong Yong-jo;

9-Jong Tae-se.

Ivory Coast starting line-up: (4-3-3)

1-Boubacar Barry;

21-Emmanuel Eboue, 4-Kolo Toure, 5-Didier Zokora, 3-Arthur Boka;

13-Ndri Romaric, 19-Yaya Toure, 9-Cheik Tiote;

10-Gervinho, 11-Didier Drogba, 18-Abdelkader Keita.

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain).

This group was labeled by many as the group of death but it didn’t exactly live to its billing with the two qualifying berths all but wrapped up entering the third set of group stage matches. Brazil had already booked their place in the next round after collecting two victories against Korea DPR and the Ivory Coast while Portugal effectively sealed their spot after their 7-0 thrashing of Korea DPR. The Ivory Coast were on the cusp of a second consecutive exit from the group stage after they had failed to advance to the second round in their first ever World Cup appearance in 2006.

Portugal’s trouncing of Korea DPR meant that the Ivory Coast needed a 9-goal swing in their favour and it was highly unlikely; however, the Ivory Coast gave it a go and started with a very attacking formation which raises the all-important question: Why didn’t they play with three strikers against Brazil and Portugal? Then again, it’s always easy to speak in hindsight while sitting on our comfortable couch.

The Ivory Coast’s attacking approach almost yielded a goal inside the first minute when Yaya Toure picked Keita with a perfect-weighted pass on the right, but his attempt to sidefoot the ball home from 10 yards was saved by the Korean netminder Myong-Guk. Two minutes later, the Elephants tried their luck from distance but Boka’s 25-yard shot didn’t trouble the North Korean keeper.

Korea DPR didn’t have any chance of progressing but after the humiliation they received at the hands of Portugal, they just wanted to leave this tournament with the lowest number of casualties and hence they didn’t venture to attack and risk, allowing the Ivory Coast too much space like they did against Portugal. The Ivory Coast continued to press and they created another chance in the 10th minute when Gervinho charged to the box and squared a ball across the goal line, but none of his teammates were there to slot it in. Soon after, Drogba had a goal correctly disallowed for off-side. However, the Ivory Coast’s intense pressure, a genuine barrage on the North Korean goal, finally paid dividends in emphatic fashion.

Boka charged down the left flank and cut a cross back to Yaya Toure, who was on the edge of the box. The Barcelona midfielder passed the ball in the far corner of the net with the sweetest and gentlest of touches. North Korea had no answer for the Ivory Coast’s pace and skill and the signs looked ominous for them. In the 17th minute, Romeric hit the post with a right-footed cross that evaded everyone, the goalkeeper included. North Korea’s first chance of the match came in the 19th minute when Jong-Jo’s free-kick flashed just wide. But the Ivory Coast responded quite brilliantly with a second goal when Romeric tapped in after good work from Boka and Drogba.

The Ivory Coast looked on their way to a big win but for some reason, they took their foot off the accelerator and couldn’t add to their tally in the latter stages of the first half. Despite continuing their absolute dominance of the North Koreans, they didn’t score a third until the last 10 minutes in the second half when substitute Kalou sidefooted a stunning cross from the lively left-back Boka. By then, the Ivory Coast looked like giving up hope and the stalemate in the other match (Portugal-Brazil) did not inspire much optimism or hope. The Ivory Coast exited the tournament with 4 points, but it was ultimately a disappointing one as they couldn’t step it up in the matches against Portugal and Brazil. They were not awful by any means but needed at least a win in one of those matches and they couldn’t do it. This result against the Koreans was satisfying in an immediate sense, but it only magnified the missed opportunities of the previous weeks, which will haunt the Africans in the coming months.

Budour Hassan
DFN Sports Staff Writer