Ivory Coast trounce Benin

SUPERSTAR Didier Drogba scored the opening goal as Ivory Coast overwhelmed Benin 4-1 last Friday in a 2008 MTN African Nations Cup Group B match.

Yaya Toure, Abdelkader Keita and Aruna Dindane were also on target as the Ivorian ‘Elephants’ justified media predictions of a mismatch by putting the Beninois ‘Squirrels’ to flight after leading 2-0 at half-time. Sweden-based Razack Omotoyossi scored a stoppage-time consolation goal at Essipong Stadium in this south-western town.Victory maintained the 100-percent record of the Ivorians after a 1-0 win over Nigeria last Monday and they became the first qualifiers for the quarterfinals as the ‘Super Eagles’ fail to defeat Mali in the last group match.But success may have come at a high price for the 1992 champions as Arsenal defender Kolo Toure was stretchered off just before half-time with a suspected groin injury.The pre-match headlines were dominated by Germany-born Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch as he axed ace midfielder Muri Ogunbiyi for undisclosed disciplinary reasons and alleged being approached to fix the game againt Mali last Monday.Benin lost that match to a solitary goal and were expected to suffer a much heavier defeat against opponents rated joint favourites with hosts Ghana to lift the symbol of African national team supremacy.Forecasts of a mismatch did not take long to materialise as the minnows came under pressure with defender Damien Chrysostome shown a yellow card and goalkeeper Rachad Chitou flapping at a free kick before grabbing the ball.Ivory Coast goalie Barry made another excellent save eight minutes from full-time, turning a fierce close-range drive from Oumar Tchomogo away for a corner, before being beaten by Omotoyossi one minute into injury time.Meanwhile, Mali edged closer to the last eight on Friday when they held Nigeria to a goalless draw in a crucial Group B match.Mali now have four points from two matches while Nigeria have one point.Ivory Coast top the group with six points, and have booked their place in the quarterfinals, while Benin are pointless and bottom.Nampa-AFPSweden-based Razack Omotoyossi scored a stoppage-time consolation goal at Essipong Stadium in this south-western town.Victory maintained the 100-percent record of the Ivorians after a 1-0 win over Nigeria last Monday and they became the first qualifiers for the quarterfinals as the ‘Super Eagles’ fail to defeat Mali in the last group match.But success may have come at a high price for the 1992 champions as Arsenal defender Kolo Toure was stretchered off just before half-time with a suspected groin injury.The pre-match headlines were dominated by Germany-born Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch as he axed ace midfielder Muri Ogunbiyi for undisclosed disciplinary reasons and alleged being approached to fix the game againt Mali last Monday.Benin lost that match to a solitary goal and were expected to suffer a much heavier defeat against opponents rated joint favourites with hosts Ghana to lift the symbol of African national team supremacy.Forecasts of a mismatch did not take long to materialise as the minnows came under pressure with defender Damien Chrysostome shown a yellow card and goalkeeper Rachad Chitou flapping at a free kick before grabbing the ball.Ivory Coast goalie Barry made another excellent save eight minutes from full-time, turning a fierce close-range drive from Oumar Tchomogo away for a corner, before being beaten by Omotoyossi one minute into injury time.Meanwhile, Mali edged closer to the last eight on Friday when they held Nigeria to a goalless draw in a crucial Group B match.Mali now have four points from two matches while Nigeria have one point.Ivory Coast top the group with six points, and have booked their place in the quarterfinals, while Benin are pointless and bottom.Nampa-AFP

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.