Drogba time

I will admit that I bought a Didier Drogba Ivory Coast jersey over the winter specifically for the 2010 World Cup. This was before they were drawn into this year's version of the Group of Death: Ivory Coast, Portugal, Brazil and North Korea.

Even if the Elephants don't make it past the qualifying round, I'll still have a sweet orange Puma jersey. So I've got that going for me.

Ivory Coast starts and ends with Drogba, one of the world's best strikers. They also have plenty of firepower surrounding the Chelsea superstar.

I'm petrified that Sven Goran-Eriksson is their head coach (remember?) but I think my Golden Retriever Cody could coach this team that's brimming with talent and still do a respectable job.

Drogba's Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou, Lille's Gervinho and Lens striker Aruna Dindane, currently preparing for this weekend's FA Cup final with loan club Portsmouth, are also part of a potent attacking contingent.

Elite-level performers are also found in the backline with Manchester City defender Kolo Toure selected alongside Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue, while Barcelona's Yaya Toure provides Champions League-winning experience in midfield alongside the likes of Hamburg's Guy Demel and Cheick Tiote of Dutch champions FC Twente.

Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Vincent Angban, Daniel Yeboah (both Asec Mimosas), Aristide Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya); Souleymane Bamba (Hibernian)

Defenders: Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal), Abdoulaye Meite (West Brom), Siaka Tiene, Benjamin Angoua (both Valenciennes), Kolo Toure (Manchester City), Steve Gohouri (Wigan)

Midfielders: Emerse Fae (Nice), Guy Demel (Hamburg), Romaric N'Dri Koffi, Didier Zokora (both Sevilla), Cheick Tiote (FC Twente), Yaya Toure (Barcelona), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys), Kanga Akale (Lens), Jean-Jacques Gosso (Monaco), Emmanuel Kone (International Curtea Arges)

Forwards: Aruna Dindane (Lens), Seydou Doumbia (Young Boys), Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou (both Chelsea), Kader Keita (Galatasaray), Bakari Kone (Marseille), Gervinho (Lille), Lacina Traore (CFR Cluj).

If Ivory Coast can survive what's expected to be the toughest group to get out of, they should have the tools to go as far as they want.