Match Preview: Brazil v Ivory Coast

Sunday, June 20th at 19:30 GMT from Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg

While Brazilian fans can’t wait to face Portugal in their last group stage fixture, they couldn’t have asked for a better way to prepare than taking on a spirited Ivory Coast side. The Elephants held the Portuguese to a goalless draw in what many considered to be a very dominant performance from the Africans. With star striker Didier Drogba still struggling for full fitness, the Ivorians will need every bit of the remarkable effort they displayed in their opening match to stand any chance of success against Brazil.

Brazil Player to Watch: Maicon

This honor easily belongs to Maicon, who has arguably been the most consistent performer on a Brazilian team that is incredibly gifted yet somewhat sloppy at times. After winning the treble with Inter this season, Maicon will be looking forward to wrap up the summer with a perfect finish in the form of World Cup glory. Therefore, combining his superb skills as one of the best full-backs in the world with a burning desire to excel at the national stage can easily result in a lot of frustration for Brazil’s opponents this summer.

Ivory Coast Player to Watch: Didier Drogba

It is barely even certain that Didier Drogba will be in the starting line-up for this massive fixture but that is precisely why I choose him as the player to watch. There are other talented players such as Salomon Kalou and Kolo Toure to offer some much-needed support but in order for Sven Goran Eriksson’s men to really apply pressure on their Brazilian counterparts, the prolific Chelsea striker needs to make his presence felt.

Prediction

Ivory Coast were initially considered one of the tournament favorites, which is why some pundits even fancied them against Brazil in this particular match. However, with Drogba’s fitness struggles, goals will be very difficult to come. Since the Brazilians are sure to have their share of goals, one can’t help but feel that the Elephants are clear underdogs. Back when I previewed Group G, I tipped Brazil to score twice and there is no reason to retract that belief. However, I also initially chose Ivory Coast to score twice, which I believe won’t happen anymore. Instead, Brazil will emerge 2-1 winners in a hard-fought game.

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