FCBARCELONA.CAT

25.06.2010 17:56

Win not enough for Touré and company (0-3)

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Touré Yaya played his final game of the South African World Cup today. The Ivory Coast needed Portugal to lose and to win by far more goals than they ultimately managed.

Ivory Coast needed a miracle and despite beating North Korea they failed to get the goals they needed, and in any case, were relying on Brazil beating Portugal, which didn’t happen. They therefore end third in Group G, meaning Ghana will be the only African side that goes into the next round. Touré leaves with a win, thanks to his own goals plus others from Romaric and Kalou in Nelspruit.

One team on the park

The Ivorians really went for it, knowing they needed something similar to Portugal’s 7-0 win over the same side to have any hope of qualifying. Keita, Gervinho and Drogba, whose goal was rightly ruled out, all had early chances. Touré Yaya had the second highest number of shots in the game, and it was he who put his side in front with a cracking goal.

Shortly after he had hit the post, Romaric then converted the second following a run by Drogba, who had just hit the crossbar himself. The Sevilla star was ready to convert the rebound.

There was a sense that we were on the verge of watching a historic display for the Elephants, and as the chances came flying, and North Korea barely crossed the halfway line, the vuvuzelas started blaring louder than ever. But the third goal just didn’t want to come and with that came the despair that the Ivorians’ World Cup dream was ending.

In the second half, Touré Yaya was once given complete freedom of manoeuvre, always seeking ways of breaking through the well-organised Asian defence. But the Koreans were growing and the Ivory Coast more and more frustrated, and only Kalou managed to add any further scoring in game that died a sorry death. The miracle of second place in the group just wasn’t to be.