African Sports Monthly February 2014 Issue | Page 32

Will the Elephants of the Ivory Coast live

up to their true billing ?

to

and veteran shot stopper Boubacar Barry. Ivory Coast have long been Africa’s top team, even if they do not have the Nations Cup silverware to prove it and it looks as though their Golden Generation of stars will make plenty of noise in Brazil if they step up and play true to talent and form.

Cameroon

Another talented side on the qualifications list was Cameroon who got their ticket courtesy of a 4-1 home win over hopeful Tunisia and the Indomitable Lions know that they will have to pull up their socks if they have any hope of upstaging the applecart in Brazil.

The Cameroonians have missed out of the World Cup just once since 1986 but a lot has changed in their set up as the current crop of players are nowhere near the class of 1986 that included the lethal Roger Milla. They have been to six World Cups and this will be their seventh.

Fans of the Indomitable Lions had witnessed in horror how their once formidable Lions were tamed and caged up as other teams proceeded to successive Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2012 and 2013 with the once lowly Cape Verde among the sides that participated in the dismantling of the plucky Cameroonian team.

They however, can boast of capable players such as Pierre Webo, Benjamin Moukandjo, Jean Makoun