World Cup 2014 will very likely mark the retirement of several key Ivory Coast players that turned an average African team into a force to be reckoned with. It makes perfect sense that these talented and immensely experienced players hope to make their exit from the competition memorable. They've got the window of opportunity, because Group C is one of the easiest ones and they have the second best chance to make it to the next stage.
Group stage and event prospects
Columbia is going to be the main threat for the Ivory Coast, but without Falcao they will be a lesser team and certainly not as dangerous upfront. While it would be a mistake to underestimate the Colombians and their phenomenal offense, they should not be excessively feared. The key to surviving the group for the Ivory Coast is to play offensive football against all three teams they share the group with. It should be easy to take the initiative against Greece and Japan who prefer to play a defensive game.
Bet365 credits Ivory Coast with the best chance to join Columbia in the last 16 and the odds currently stand at 1.90. Basically, punters would be taking a coin flip at odds slightly below even value, but the closer look, the African nation is more likely to prevail. Coach Sabri Lamouchi will have plenty of players to choose from and the real challenge for him is to field a starting formation that doesn't rely almost entirely on midfielders and offensive players.
Key players for Ivory Coast at the World Cup
Dominating the group by playing offensive football is the right thing to do, but there are many gaps to fill in their own half. On the bright side, Ivory Coast defenders are strong and tall players will dominate the box so both the Colombians and especially the Japanese will have a hard time converting free kicks and corners. Things improve greatly as we move to the midfield and offensive, where Didier Drogba is an inspirational captain and also their best striker.
He's expected to score most of the goals for Ivory Coast in Brazil, but the formidable ascension of Seydou Doumbia and Wilfried Bony shouldn't be overlooked. The latter are given odds of 201 to 1 and 151 to 1 by Bet365, while Drogba remains the top favorite for the title of most prolific striker at the World Cup. He is tied with Yaya Toure at odds of 101 to 1, which is a bit surprising, given the fact that Toure is a midfielder. The explanation is simple, as this highly versatile player doesn't hesitate to join the strikers when opportunity arises and he made a significant contribution to Manchester City's success in 2014.
The problem that all the teams in group C share is that defending against the Ivory Coast by annihilating individual players is virtually impossible. The Africans have so many options at their disposal, that virtually any midfielder could score or at least feature upfront. Avoiding injuries is a top priority right now, but even if Sabri Lamouchi loses one of the top players, he will have an equally good replacement.
The bottom line
Ivory Coast players will try to make the World Cup 2014 memorable, but the odds for them to lift the trophy are 126 to 1 with Bet365. There is more to gain by crediting them with a chance to advance to the elimination round and as long as the odds are hovering around even value, the bet is worth the risk.
