World Cup 2014 Preview – Côte d’Ivoire

The Ivory Coast will be hoping to hoist the World Cup trophy come July 13.

This squad is definitely not lacking for talent. Headlining the roster is none other than the great striker, Didier Drogba. Drogba is a goal scoring machine, and always attracts the most attention, even during his club appearances. Along side is another formidable forward in Salomon Kalou. Teams that get lackadaisical on the back line will pay for it with these two scoring goals almost at will.

The midfield is where this team thrives. Yaya Toure is one of the best in the business, and can single-handedly win any given match in the middle of the pitch. His play at Manchester City in the English Premier League has them, yet again, in a position to qualify for the UEFA Champions' League. Another key player in the midfield is Didier Zokora. Although he is old in the soccer world (33 years of age), his experience is what can give Ivory Coast a leg up on the competition.

This team has held the pride of the continent of Africa on their backs for the past few years, and they hope to make a deep run come June 12.

My prediction: Ivory Coast advance to the knockout round, although the competition in Group C is pretty tight. Columbia will win the group, but Côte d'Ivoire will give them a run for their money, although ultimately finishing 2nd.