Cote D'Ivoire were not at their best and looked nothing like the pre-tournament favorites that they are, but they did enough to find all three points in what was hopefully just a warm-up game before they get to the real football. Didier Drogba was unsurprisingly the goal-scorer in Les Elephants' 1-0 win over Sudan -- and the goal was a great one -- but it was the only real moment of brilliance for his side.
Cote D’Ivoire Vs. Sudan, 2012 Africa Cup Of Nations: Pedestrian Elephants Find Three Points In Average Performance
The goal came in the 39th minute after a very slow and lazy start to the match. Once Cote D’Ivoire decided to start playing at a reasonably quick pace, they were able to create a goal. Cheick Tiote provided the assist in an uncharacteristic manner, drifting out to the left side and putting in a beautiful cross. Drogba found the gap in the defense and hit a powerful header into the back of the net, scoring the only goal of the match.
And...that was it. Sudan had a few decent shots, but it felt like Cote D'Ivoire could have flipped on the switch whenever they wanted to. Boubacar Barry was very good in goal for Les Elephants, though he never had to do anything truly spectacular. The Cote D'Ivoire midfield lacked creativity, and it's likely that Abdul Kader Keita -- an 80th minute sub -- could start in future matches.
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