WORLD CUP: Ivory Coast leads Africa with 2-1 win over Japan
seconds apart took Ivory Coast to a winning
start at the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over
Japan in Recife.
Ivory Coast left captain Didier Drogba out of
the starting line-up but it was his arrival off
the bench after an hour which coincided with
the African nation finally converting their
chances.
Japan's star player Keisuke Honda had put
them ahead with an impressive strike after 16
minutes and, as Ivory Coast continued to miss
chance after chance, it seemed their bid to
qualify for the knockout stages would take an
early hit.
However, Drogba's introduction gave their
opponents something else to think about and,
while they were doing that, Bony and then
Gervinho both nipped in to convert crosses
from right-back Serge Aurier - a reported
transfer target for Arsenal after they lost
Bacary Sagna to Manchester City this week.
AC Milan midfielder Honda had given Japan
the lead, drilling a shot inside a stationary
Boubacar Barry's right-hand post.
Atsuto Uchida should have made it 2-0 after
cutting in from the right but opted to go for
goal and shot straight at the goalkeeper with
team-mates well placed in the middle.
Ivory Coast, with Manchester City midfielder
Yaya Toure captaining the side but plainly not
at his best after recovering from a hamstring
injury, stepped up the pressure but failed to
test goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, with Salomon
Kalou heading over from six yards just before
the break.
Either side of Bony making a mess of two
headers early in the second half, Toure
appeared to be brought down by Maya
Yoshida but no penalty was awarded.
With frustration growing, Drogba was
introduced and, within six minutes, his side
were ahead. Bony equalised in 65th minute
with a glancing header, before former Arsenal
forward Gervinho beat Kawashima all too
easily at his near post to stun the Japanese.
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