Ivory Coast has all the elements to be the Cinderella team for the 2006 World Cup, like African teams Senegal and Cameroon before them. They have never qualified for the event before and they come from an unlikely and disadvantaged region. They are fresh off an unexpectedly strong showing in the African Cup of Nations and they have star players who are seasoned by their time in the best Europeans leagues. Unfortunately for these Elephants, though, they drew perhaps the hardest Group possible.

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The Ivory Coast players may have the incredible disadvantage of having far bigger things on their minds as the games kick off. Their country has been mired in civil war since 2002. The Unites Nations pulled out 400 civilian staffers in January after fresh unrest. Many of the players have expressed their unease about the safety of their families while they are in Germany. On the other hand, a good showing at the World Cup would help to unify their countrymen, if only temporarily. That may be the incentive they need to surprise.

The African Cup of Nations, held in February, was a real proving ground for the Elephants. They beat pre-tournament favourite Morocco in the first game and beat heated rivals Cameroon, who had beaten the Elephants twice in World Cup qualifying, in a 12-11 penalty shootout epic. They looked dominant in dispatching Nigeria in the semis before losing in the final to host Egypt in another shootout after 120 scoreless minutes. Those strong results were a confidence builder for the Ivory Coast as the World Cup approaches.

2006 Ivory Coast World Cup Odds: Bodog has Ivory Coast listed at 90-1 to win the 2006 World Cup, better odds than 13 other teams.

Strengths: Ivory Coast is probably the strongest of the African squads coming to Germany. Without question, their biggest asset is striker Didier Drogba. He was the 2003-2004 French Player of the Year while playing for Marseille before transferring to Chelsea of the English Premier League for $45 million. The success of this team rests squarely on his shoulders, both for his leadership and his offensive power. Drogba has an intimidating combination of strength and power and he has an ability to lose defenders that few can match.

Arouna Kone, who plays for PSV Eindhoven, is the second jewel in the attack for the Elephants. He's young and unpolished, but he has the ability to make moves that cause your jaw to drop. Ivory Coast is lucky to not have to rely on him as their primary threat, but he stands a good chance of becoming a national hero before the tournament ends. Other players to watch include Kolo Touré, the star Arsenal defender who will lock down the backfield and Jean-Jacques Tizié, the goalkeeper who was a wall at the African Cup of Nations, earning the first team all-star honors.

On a less tangible level, a huge strength for Ivory Coast is that they go into the tournament without huge expectations. They are in a difficult group and they have never been to the World Cup before, so few people outside of their country will be expecting big things. This spot under the radar may well be the perfect situation for the Elephants to spring up and surprise one or two of the giants they will be meeting in group play. They will have nerves of their own to overcome, but those nerves won't be magnified by the weight of expectations and that is a gift for this squad.

Weaknesses: The biggest concern for Ivory Coast fans heading into the tournament has to be the midfield. Didier Zokora and Yaya Touré, the younger brother of Kolo, are the only two strong players in the backfield, but they unfortunately play the same position. The right side is mired in frustrating inconsistency, with both players often seemingly leaving their brain on the bench when they hit the pitch. The left side isn't quite so bad, but neither player is a complete package. If both players could play at once they would combine to be an impressive foe, but on their own each is lacking.

The obvious weakness of this team is inexperience. It's hard to get ready for the World Cup and know what to expect when no one in your country has ever played in it. Many of their players play in top European leagues and have won championships, but none of that can prepare them for the spectacle that will be Germany. On top of that, Henri Michel is only in his second year coaching the squad. They will be fine as long as things go their way, but it could be a real challenge for them to pull themselves together if they struggle in their first game against Argentina. Resilience often comes from experience and this squad will likely need to be resilient to succeed.

Ivory Coast World Cup 2006 Outlook: Realistically, no one can expect this team to go very far. Both Argentina and the Netherlands outclass them and they would be up tough against Serbia and Montenegro on any given day. You could have said the same thing four years ago when Senegal met France, though. A team only has to get hot at the right time to surprise. It isn't the most likely outcome, but if no team in the group really exerts themselves, Ivory Coast could sneak into the next round.

If the Elephants do find a way out of their group they will be a team no country will want to face. They will have the confidence, the skill and the reckless attitude of a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Ivory Coast World Cup 2006 first round match schedule:

Saturday, June 10, Group C1 Argentina vs. Group C2 Ivory Coast, in Hamburg, 9 p.m.

Friday, June 16, Group C4 Netherlands vs. Group C2 Ivory Coast, in Stuttgart, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 21, Group C2 Ivory Coast vs. Group C3 Serbia and Montenegro, in Munich, 9 p.m.

Ivory Coast World Cup 2006 News:

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