Group                                                   : C with Colombia, Greece and Japan

Current Fifa Ranking                 : 17th with 918 points

World Cup Appearances               : 2006 and 2010

Best Achievement                           : First Round

Head Coach                                        : Sabri Lamouchi

Captain                                                 : Didier Drogba

The Ivorians had a pretty swift qualification phase, being the only African nation ending unbeaten along with Nigeria. Even though their golden generation is starting to rust slightly, the force which Drogba brings to the table can never be ignored.

In both previous editions of the tournament, the Elephants were unlucky to be drawn in the group of death both times, leading to their first round exit on each occasion. This time round, luck has been more on their side as they have been drawn in a much more balanced group. Colombia will be the team to beat for them, however should they hold their ground against both Greece and Japan, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if Cote D’Ivoire end up in second place.

A highly experienced yet sluggish centre back pairing of Liverpool’s Kolo Toure and Galatasaray’s Emmanuel Eboue help in shielding opposing strikers, whilst Manchester City’s Yaya Toure and Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote carry the ball forward. Team captain and star striker Didier Drogba, who’s currently having a remarkable season with Galatasaray, spearheads the attack with the help of Lille’s Salomon Kalou and Roma’s Gervinho, who are also having great spells with the respective clubs.

Having a competitive squad and chance to progress past the group stages is exactly what the Elephants were wishing for after their previous tough draws. Head coach Sabri Lamouchi has worked wonders with the squad so far, hoping to improve them further in time for the tournament.