FWC-Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast:-
“Les Éléphants” are hoping they can finally break their curse at this WC and at least qualify from the group stage!
First things first, the main issue for the Ivorians is their ageing team. Their most-likely squad average an eye-catching age of 30 years, representing their biggest hurdle in a tournament of extreme intensity and high tempo. How their senior players handle the pressure, and most of them should! (thanks to their top-level football experience), will be one of the main factors in deciding how far they can go in this competition.
The apparent lack of chemistry at the back has not helped Coach Sabri Lamouchi build a stable system from which they can launch attacks. Toure’s lack of pace and ever-recurring lapses of being caught out of position cause a good amount of damage to their defense. In Serge Aurier, Ivory Coast have one of the most talented RBs plying his trade in Europe at the moment; but his inexperience does not bode well given the fact that he is surrounded by even less reliable defenders.
Their defensive outlay is without question coach Lamouchi’s biggest worry; because a team with an average of 1.20 goals per game (over the last 25 games) can NEVER glide through a huge tournament like the WC. Time and again the Ivorians have fallen at the last hurdle at many tournaments due to their tendency to implode at the back and commit grave errors.
Further forward, a more serene picture can be formed about the rest of their set-up. Their midfield AND attack boasts some great players who ALL have what it takes to deliver on the biggest of stages. In fact, among all the 32 teams that qualified, only Bosnia (3.0), England (3.1), Ghana (3.125), the Netherlands (3.4) and Germany (3.6) have a better goals-scored-per-game ratio during qualifiers than the Ivorians’ 2.375.
Coach Lamouchi emphasizes a rigid counter-attacking style of football which best complements most of his players’ attacking attributes and he allows a good degree of free play in midfield; so as to offer his midfielders wider dimensions when they have possession and push forward.
Much of Ivory Coast’s play will be situated in the wider areas of the pitch and their midfielders’ dynamic positional play allows their wingers to roam freely on the flanks and embark on dazzling runs in between the opposition’s tactical lines. Their target man will be waiting for all sorts of crosses and aerial play; while their wide men have the panache to dribble their way into the box and fire a shot or two on target.
A lot of focus will be placed on set-pieces of course; for Ivory Coast have a wide array of extremely powerful players who excel in dead-ball situations and can easily put the ball in the back of the net every time a cross is delivered to them.
Main men: Yaya Touré and Gervais Yao Kouassi (Gervinho): Touré is an exceptionally talented player whose strength, dynamism and incredible box-to-box runs will have a huge impact on the way Ivory Coast play. Gervinho’s excellent performances this last season (take a bow Mr. Rudi Garcia!) has everyone back home hoping that he will be THE star of the team who can guide their side to glory with his amazing dribbling skills, sheer pace and wonderful technique on the ball.
Odds (average from top 24 betting firms): 141.875
“Les Éléphants” are hoping they can finally break their curse at this WC and at least qualify from the group stage!
First things first, the main issue for the Ivorians is their ageing team. Their most-likely squad average an eye-catching age of 30 years, representing their biggest hurdle in a tournament of extreme intensity and high tempo. How their senior players handle the pressure, and most of them should! (thanks to their top-level football experience), will be one of the main factors in deciding how far they can go in this competition.
The apparent lack of chemistry at the back has not helped Coach Sabri Lamouchi build a stable system from which they can launch attacks. Toure’s lack of pace and ever-recurring lapses of being caught out of position cause a good amount of damage to their defense. In Serge Aurier, Ivory Coast have one of the most talented RBs plying his trade in Europe at the moment; but his inexperience does not bode well given the fact that he is surrounded by even less reliable defenders.
Their defensive outlay is without question coach Lamouchi’s biggest worry; because a team with an average of 1.20 goals per game (over the last 25 games) can NEVER glide through a huge tournament like the WC. Time and again the Ivorians have fallen at the last hurdle at many tournaments due to their tendency to implode at the back and commit grave errors.
Further forward, a more serene picture can be formed about the rest of their set-up. Their midfield AND attack boasts some great players who ALL have what it takes to deliver on the biggest of stages. In fact, among all the 32 teams that qualified, only Bosnia (3.0), England (3.1), Ghana (3.125), the Netherlands (3.4) and Germany (3.6) have a better goals-scored-per-game ratio during qualifiers than the Ivorians’ 2.375.
Coach Lamouchi emphasizes a rigid counter-attacking style of football which best complements most of his players’ attacking attributes and he allows a good degree of free play in midfield; so as to offer his midfielders wider dimensions when they have possession and push forward.
Much of Ivory Coast’s play will be situated in the wider areas of the pitch and their midfielders’ dynamic positional play allows their wingers to roam freely on the flanks and embark on dazzling runs in between the opposition’s tactical lines. Their target man will be waiting for all sorts of crosses and aerial play; while their wide men have the panache to dribble their way into the box and fire a shot or two on target.
A lot of focus will be placed on set-pieces of course; for Ivory Coast have a wide array of extremely powerful players who excel in dead-ball situations and can easily put the ball in the back of the net every time a cross is delivered to them.
Main men: Yaya Touré and Gervais Yao Kouassi (Gervinho): Touré is an exceptionally talented player whose strength, dynamism and incredible box-to-box runs will have a huge impact on the way Ivory Coast play. Gervinho’s excellent performances this last season (take a bow Mr. Rudi Garcia!) has everyone back home hoping that he will be THE star of the team who can guide their side to glory with his amazing dribbling skills, sheer pace and wonderful technique on the ball.
Odds (average from top 24 betting firms): 141.875
Ahmad Al-Omar - 31. May, 08:27
