Scoreless draw pleases coach of Ivory Coast

Team outplays higher-ranked Portugal

By: Stuart Condie Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Wednesday, Jun. 16, 2010

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa -- Ivory Coast drew 0-0 with Portugal at the World Cup on Tuesday, largely outplaying its higher-ranked opponent despite Didier Drogba only coming on as a late substitute.

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This article was published 16/06/2010 (5953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa — Ivory Coast drew 0-0 with Portugal at the World Cup on Tuesday, largely outplaying its higher-ranked opponent despite Didier Drogba only coming on as a late substitute.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post early, but Ivory Coast otherwise created the better openings in the Group G match.

"It was a tight game, not many occasions to score," Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said. "I thought if any team was going to win, it was we. We created some more chances than they did. I am very, very happy with the performance.

JULIE JACOBSON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ivory Coast’s Aruna Dindane (left) competes for the ball with Portugal’s Bruno Alves during group G match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday. — JULIE JACOBSON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Ivory Coast’s Aruna Dindane (left) competes for the ball with Portugal’s Bruno Alves during group G match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday.

"If you think about discipline and organization, I think we were organized for all 90 minutes," Eriksson added. "They have a very good team and a lot of very good footballers, but I think we handled it very well."

Drogba came on as a 66th-minute substitute for Chelsea teammate Salomon Kalou after FIFA cleared him to play with a cast on the arm he broke in a warmup match against Japan on June 4.

He was only passed fit shortly before kickoff at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and his entrance was greeted by huge cheers, with vuvuzelas drowning out drumming by Ivorian fans for the first time in the match.

Drogba had little impact on a defence that struggled to contain Lille striker Gervinho and Aruna Dindane, Ivory Coast’s leading scorer when it was knocked out of the first round at the 2006 World Cup.

Still, Eriksson watched his striker move freely, largely untroubled by an injury that had threatened to prevent him from taking any part in the monthlong World Cup.

"I spoke to him after training yesterday evening and he said he preferred to be on the bench," Eriksson said. "He said ‘Boss, if you need me, I am there.’"

— The Associated Press