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Côte d'Ivoire
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some of the most exciting football...
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extremely difficult schedule...
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bright football future in danger:
unstabile situation in the country: a coup d'état
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Joel Tiehi not included in the
squad
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the most successful clubs of
West-, East-, and Central-Africa
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overview: Côte
d'Ivoire among the best of Africa
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the
list of players (includes age and where do they play
analysis)
The magicians,
will they find inspiration again? They have been playing some of the most
exciting football in some matches of the past decade but at Ghana/Nigeria
2000 they face an extremely difficult task. They will have to find the
right team composition quickly as their preperations have not been as thorough
as of their competitors and been damaged by the political situation at
home: the coup d'état that has taken place in late December 99.
In addition they have
been drawn into a very difficult first round group with strong Cameroon,
hungry Togo, and favorites and hosts Ghana, which they will have to play
possibly twice to reach finals (depending on which of the two given schedules
is the right one). Otherwise the way to the title could as well require
a clash with the second hosts Nigeria.
It can only be hoped
that the long-term visionary work like for example the consequent connected
build-up of the new Olympic team and ASEC Abidjan will not be come into
question by failures on the field and a new gouvernment seeking short-term
distracting successes to profit in calming the situation.
If it will be continued
Côte d'Ivoire will come out on the top of something in the next decade.
To the surprise of
many previews including this one aging star player Joel Tiehi will not
be included in the squad: Bakayoko (Olympic Marseille) and possibly Kalou
(Feyenoord Rotterdam) with be the new attack duo. Fundement will be to
find a good unit in build up quickly. Prominent players are there enough:
Guel from St.Etienne, Domoraud from Inter Milano, Diabaté from Bordeaux
etc. And: Côte d'Ivoire clubs have been the best non-North African
sides in recent continental club competitions, winning the Champions League
1998 (ASEC Abidjan) and the Cup Winners Cup 1999 (Africa Sports).
If the sparks ignite
the fire, theirs will be the matches to watch.
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