Ivory Coast must move beyond delighting crowds
MUNICH, June 22: If Ivory Coast want to transform from a crowd-pleasing to a match-winning side by 2010, they must learn hard lessons about defence and attack from this World Cup, according to their departing coach.
The debutants delighted fans with their attacking flair and most of the neutrals in the Munich crowd, many of them in orange, roared with appreciation as Ivory Coast notched up their first World Cup finals win yesterday.
The players were also obviously thrilled, but coach Henri Michel, coaching his fourth team at a World Cup, insisted they should not be satisfied. Widespread praise could not mask the fact that the team were eliminated after two games.
''There is a weakness in this team. We need a lot of opportunities to score and at this level that's not good,'' he said.
''If Ivory Coast want to rise to the top level they will have to iron out the defensive problems and take their chances in attack.'' The West Africans fell 2-0 down in all three of their Group C games, halving the deficit before a rousing finale in their matches against Argentina and the Netherlands, and beating Serbia&Montenegro 3-2 in the final game.
In doing so, they became the first team in 36 years to win a game after trailing 2-0 -- West Germany last did so against England in 1970 in the quarter-final.
Captain Didier Drobga, suspended yesterday, raced to the corner flag to join his team's celebrations after the third goal. However, while clearly delighted at their first finals victory, he too recognised they must now strive for consistency.
Michel said it was nothing new to talk about Ivory Coast having potential, but insisted the side must firm up their defence and put away chances.
''If this group goes on, if they want to move on, I think they have a good future,'' the coach said.
''They should work hard, not listen to what is said about them, such as people saying they are the best in the world. If they work hard they will be there,'' Michel said.
Ivory Coast can at least take heart that, apart from keeper Jean-Jacques Tizie, their core side are all under 30, so they still have time to improve.
Reuters
Related
Stories:
Ivory
Coast
have
to
deliver
now,
says
coach
Ivory
Coast
learning
soccer
lessons
the
hard
way
More
World
Cup
stories
Groups
and
Standings
World
Cup
Schedule
World
Cup
Participating
Countries