 If one of the African teams is going make a major impact on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire is viewed by many as the most likely candidate. Given they have world class performers from top to bottom of the starting eleven, it is definitely not a wonder why. Les Éléphants may also have a point to prove after being knocked out in the first round at Germany 2006, where, as part of a very tough group, Côte d'Ivoire lost 2-1 to Argentina and the Netherlands before overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat Serbia and Montenegro 3-2. Les Éléphants (The Elephants). With more experience, combined with a little luck in the draw, captain Didier Drogba and his mates are sure to be a handful as they look to solidify their presence at the international level at South Africa 2010. As would be expected from one of the continent's powerhouses, Côte d'Ivoire marched through qualifying without a single loss, dominating their final qualifying group by finishing ahead of Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Guinea. Côte d'Ivoire's only moment of true uncertainty came as they were just on the verge of qualifying, however, Drogba – the team's captain and all-time leading scorer – came through when needed most. The Chelsea man's determining seventieth-minute goal against Burkina Faso gave The Elephants just enough of an edge to hold off the Stallions 3-2 in Ouagadougou, while additionally, it was also Drogba's dramatic game-tying-goal against Malawi which provided the West Africans with a 1-1 draw and the point they needed to get to South Africa. After all was said and done, the striker was the top scorer for Côte d'Ivoire, with six goals in five games. Les Éléphants do showcase many top talents throughout their roster, with the Chelsea duo of Drogba and Salomon Kalou a formidable duo up front, while Sevilla's Didier Zokora, Barcelona's Yaya Touré, and Marseille's diminutive Bakari Koné, provide a tough mid-field, in addition to the England-based pair of Emmanuel Eboué and Kolo Touré combined with Stuttgart's Arthur Boka to round out one of the best defenses in Africa.
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