| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
SENEGAL  Coundoul Sane, Diawara, Sall, Traore Remi, Ndoye, Diame, Dia Niang, Sow | COTE D'IVOIRE  Copa Siaka, Kolo, Boka, Eboue Yaya, Zokora, Gradel Gervinho, Kalou, Seydou |
The two teams last met in August 2006 in an international friendly played in Tours, France, with the Lions humbling the Ivorians 1-0, but an earlier clash in August 2004 saw Cote D’Ivoire earn a 2-1 victory. And back in 2003 in Dakar, Senegal defeated their Ivorian visitors 1-0, underscoring the deep rivalry existing between the two, who are among the favourites for Gabon-Equatorial Guinea 2012. Still wobbling from Saturday’s modest outing against South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Challenge shared by both sides following a 1-1 stalemate, Cote D’Ivoire coach Francois Zahoui, who is facing criticism back home for the team’s lacklustre performance in their last two games – against Burundi and South Africa, needs to face a robust Senegal in a positive manner in order to appease the nation and gather enough blessings for the 2012 Afcon.
He needs to prove that his team can function in the absence of talisman Didier Drogba, who will be missing out again on Tuesday.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- Didier Drogba, who holds French nationality, did not choose to play for Cote D’Ivoire because of patriotism. He couldn’t find a spot in the then star-studded France team, and he affirmed in an interview in Abidjan that “I couldn’t have replaced the likes of Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, etc, so I decided to try the Elephants.”
Cote D’Ivoire goalkeeper Copa Barry was originally a midfielder. When he was desperately in search of a club, the managers at the famous Abidjan-based Mimosifcom, where Manchester City’s Toure brothers were groomed, proposed the post of goalkeeper, which was the only position available in the outfit at the time. Copa accepted and began training as a keeper.
- Senegal coach Amara Traore worked without a salary for 11 months in 2010 because the FA and the sports and finance ministries were in disagreement over the status of the national team staff.
- It has been a modern tradition for Senegal presidents to offer their private planes to airlift the national team players each time they have an important match, as was the case when they played against Cameroon in Yaounde and DR Congo in Kinshasa during the 2012 Afcon qualifiers.
It is surely going to be a cracker judging by the stars both sides parade and the ambitions in place, but Senegal seem a more organised team at the moment, with a more productive attack, capable of taking apart Cote D’Ivoire’s often addled backline.
Senegal 2-1 Cote D'Ivoire
