N.Korea v. I.Coast: Live Report

Ivory_Coast_North Korea_25062010

A football fan eats a lolipop before the World Cup match between the Ivory Coast and North Korea at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. © AFP Issouf Sanogo

A football fan eats a lolipop before the World Cup match between the Ivory Coast and North Korea at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. © AFP Issouf Sanogo
NELSPRUIT, South Africa (AFP) – 90+5 mins: FULL TIME! North Korea 0 Ivory Coast 3
90+3 mins: Drogba and Eboue collide as they both go up for a cross.
-90 mins: There will be five minutes of added time – 90 mins: There will be five minutes of added time
88 mins: Its still scoreless in Durban, so it really doesn’t matter how many goals the Ivorians score.
– 85 mins: The Ivory Coast players think they have scored a fourth! Dindane pokes the ball into the net after a goalmouth scramble but the linesman rules that the Portsmouth forward had strayed into an offside position. Is it still too late for the Ivory Coast?
84 mins: The Korean keeper is clearly injured and the Ivorians are happy to keep bombarbing his penalty area with high crosses.
82 mins: GOAL! North Korea 0 Ivory Coast 3
79 mins: The Ivory Coast make their final change with Romaric making way for Seydou Doumbia.
76 mins: The Ivory  Coast are pushing forward and leaving gaps at the back.
– 72 mins: The Chelsea forward Kalou is looking very dangerous and shoots into the side-netting after drifting clear of the Korean defence.
– 71 mins: Kalou ghosts clear of his marker and from a tight angle forces the Korean keeper to make a one-handed save.
67 mins: North Korea make their first change with Mun In Guk being replaced by Choe Kum Chol.
– 67 mins: The Ivorians are starting to get a bit desperate and Romaric takes aim from 30-yards but his shot is punched away by the keeper
– 64 mins: Double substitution by the Ivory Coast as Chelsea’s Kalou and Portsmouth’s Dindane come on for Gervinho and Keita.
64 mins: Brilliant football from the Ivory Coast! Keita charges down the right wing and hits a low cross for Gervinho who just fails to reach the ball. That was a glorious move which deserved a better finish.
62 mins: Drogba leaps above the Korean defence and should have scored but he was clearly put off by the keeper
59 mins: North Korea have made a more promising start to the second half and Jong Tae Se’s shot goes wide.
– 56 mins: The Ivory Coast win a corner and Drogba goes close with a diving header. The keeper breathes a sigh of relief as the ball goes over the bar.
53 mins: Jong Tae Se has North Korea’s first real chance of the match but hits his shot straight at the keeper.
52 mins: Dazzling run by Eboue as he races past two defender before seeing his shot cleared off the l
– 50 mins: The Elephants are now up against the clock. The Korean fails to clear a cross and Kolo Toure arrives at the far post but mistimes his shot…the Manhester City defender will be kicking himself when he sees a replay of that chance!
46 mins: North Korea get the second half under way and nearly concede a third! Gervinho steals the ball and crosses for Keita who accidentally collides with the keeper.
1556 GMT: Ivory Coast might be the world’s top cocoa producer, but can they produce a sweet outcome?
45 mins: HALF TIME! North Korea 0 Ivory Coast 2
44 mins: Romaric breezes down the byline and whips in an inviting cross for the fast-charging Gervinho, but the Lille star cannot direct his header downwards.
43 mins: Arsenal defender Eboue takes aim from 30 yards but blazes it high over the bar.
– 40 mins: Five minutes to play and the Ivory Coast keeper has had nothing to do. The North Koreans are sliced open by a slick passing move by Gervinho is off balance and his shot is blocked.
– 38 mins: Gervinho races onto a slide rule pass but his shot skims the post. That was nearly three!
36 mins: Superb bit of skill from Drogba who looks like he has run into a cul-de-sac of North Korean defenders, but the Chelsea striker bundles his way clear but his tame shot is stopped by the keeper.
33 mins: According to FIFA, North Korea have enjoyed 36% of the possession. Can you get 36% just from taking goal kicks?
– 31 mins: Oooh, that was close! Keita arrives at the far post to volley a cross inches over the bar.
– 29 mins: Cheers from the crowd whenever Gervinho gets the ball. The Lille midfielder is at the hub of most of their attacks.
27 mins: It’s one-way traffic and is looking like a training exercise for the Ivory Coast.
– 25 mins: Its still scoreless in Durban, so as it stands Portugal and Brazil will progress to the last 16
23 mins: North Korea make a rare foray into their opponents half and win a free-kick on the edge of the box. Hong-Yong Jo steps up and watches as his curling shot goes inches wide.
– 20 mins: GOAL! North Korea 0 Ivory Coast 2
Drogba thinks he has scored as he twists clear of his marker and smashes a shot which rattles the crossbar…Romaric makes sure by heading the rebound into an empty net. The Ivorian fans are starting to believe they might have a chance of getting all nine goals.
17 mins: Gasps from the crowd as Romaric cuts inside the defence and blasts a daisy-cutter onto the post. The keeper was well beaten by that shot.
15 mins: This is looking like a stampede as North Korea have barely held possession. Toure nearly adds a second goal but his long-range effort goes agonisingly wide.
13 mins: GOAL! N.Korea 0  Ivory Coast 1
The African side take a deserved lead as Yaya Toure collects a pass on the edge of the area and curls a low shot into the far corner. Simple but brilliant football from the Ivory Coast.
– 13 mins: GOAL! N.Korea 0  Ivory Coast 1
The African side take a deserved lead as Yaya Toure collects a pass on the edge of the area and curls a low shot into the far corner. Simple but brilliant football from the Ivory Coast.
– 11 mins: A huge roar rings across the stadium as Drogba thinks he has given the Ivory Coast an early lead but the linesman adjudges the Chelsea striker had strayed offside.
10 mins: Great chance for the Ivory Coast as Gervinho sprints to the byline and passes the ball across the goalline but the Koreans clear the danger.
9 mins: Ivory Coast’s Romaric takes a long run-up and blasts a long-range free-kick straight at the keeper, who briefly bobbles the ball
6 mins: The Elephants have been really adventurous but the Koreans are keeping their shape at the back.
4 mins: The Ivorians are knocking the ball around and the Koreans seem quite happy to let them keep possession.
1 mins: Bright start by the African side and the Korean keeper has to be alert to deny Keita. The Galatasaray forward ran onto a slide-rule pass from Toure and the keeper had to stretch low to his right to deny him an early goal.
– 1400 GMT:  Ivory Coast — who are wearing their green shirts and white shorts — get the match under way. North Koreans are all in red.
1357 GMT: Loud cheers from the Ivorian fans as the teams come out onto the pitch.
A respectful silence for the North Korean anthem but the crowd joins in for the Ivorian anthem.
1353 GMT: “About a hundred orange-clad Ivory Coast fans are making for a great sight in the crowd, swaying and clapping together accompanied by drums and some horns and even a fan dressed up as an elephant,” says our man at pitchside.
1351 GMT: My colleague Robert Smith at the ground tells me it’s very warm in Nelspruit.
“The Elephants have the huge task ahead of them to overhaul Portugal and reach the last 16, but coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says they will be giving it a big try,” he says.
1347 GMT: Ivory Coast have made four changes to their starting line-up for the Group G clash against North Korea.
Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, Hamburg defender Guy Demel, Portsmouth forward Aruna Dindane and Valenciennes defender Siaka Tiene are all dropped as the Elephants go all out for victory against the Koreans.
The quartet are replaced by Stuttgart defender Arthur Boka, Lille forward Gervinho, Sevilla midfielder Romaric and Galatasaray attacker Kader Keita.
North Korea keep faith with the side that was overpowered by Portugal.
1340 GMT: The starting line-ups!
North Korea: Ri Myong-guk; Ri Kwang-chon, Cha Jong-hyok, Pak Chol-jin, Ri Jun-il, Ji Yun-nam, Mun In-guk, An Yong-hak, Pak Nam-chol, Hong Yong-jo, Jong Tae-se.
Coach: Kim Jong-hum
Ivory Coast: Boubacar Barry; Arthur Boka, Kolo Toure, Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboue; Ndri Romaric, Yaya Toure, Cheik Tiote; Gervais Kouassi, Didier Drogba, Abdelkader Keita.
Coach: Sven-Goran Eriksson
Referee: Alberto Undiano (Spain)
WELCOME TO THE MBOMBELA STADIUM in Nelspruit for our World Cup live text commentary of the Group G clash between North Korea and the Ivory Coast.
The Ivory Coast face an uphill task of reaching the knock-out stages as they need to make up nine goals on Group G rivals Portugal to join fellow African side Ghana in the last 16.
North Korea cannot progress in the tournament and are playing for pride after their 7-0 drubbing to Portugal.
The Elephants will be hoping that Brazil can help their cause by scoring a few goals past Portugal in the other Group G match in Durban.
To see if Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side can reach the last 16 then join us for kick-off at 1400 GMT.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (AFP) – 1400 GMT:  Ivory Coast — who are wearing their green shirts and white shorts — get the match under way. North Koreans are all in red.
1357 GMT: Loud cheers from the Ivorian fans as the teams come out onto the pitch.
A respectful silence for the North Korean anthem but the crowd joins in for the Ivorian anthem.
1353 GMT: “About a hundred orange-clad Ivory Coast fans are making for a great sight in the crowd, swaying and clapping together accompanied by drums and some horns and even a fan dressed up as an elephant,” says our man at pitchside.
1351 GMT: My colleague Robert Smith at the ground tells me it’s very warm in Nelspruit.
“The Elephants have the huge task ahead of them to overhaul Portugal and reach the last 16, but coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says they will be giving it a big try,” he says.
1347 GMT: Ivory Coast have made four changes to their starting line-up for the Group G clash against North Korea.
Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, Hamburg defender Guy Demel, Portsmouth forward Aruna Dindane and Valenciennes defender Siaka Tiene are all dropped as the Elephants go all out for victory against the Koreans.
The quartet are replaced by Stuttgart defender Arthur Boka, Lille forward Gervinho, Sevilla midfielder Romaric and Galatasaray attacker Kader Keita.
North Korea keep faith with the side that was overpowered by Portugal.
1340 GMT: The starting line-ups!
North Korea: Ri Myong-guk; Ri Kwang-chon, Cha Jong-hyok, Pak Chol-jin, Ri Jun-il, Ji Yun-nam, Mun In-guk, An Yong-hak, Pak Nam-chol, Hong Yong-jo, Jong Tae-se.
Coach: Kim Jong-hum
Ivory Coast: Boubacar Barry; Arthur Boka, Kolo Toure, Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboue; Ndri Romaric, Yaya Toure, Cheik Tiote; Gervais Kouassi, Didier Drogba, Abdelkader Keita.
Coach: Sven-Goran Eriksson
Referee: Alberto Undiano (Spain)
WELCOME TO THE MBOMBELA STADIUM in Nelspruit for our World Cup live text commentary of the Group G clash between North Korea and the Ivory Coast.
The Ivory Coast face an uphill task of reaching the knock-out stages as they need to make up nine goals on Group G rivals Portugal to join fellow African side Ghana in the last 16.
North Korea cannot progress in the tournament and are playing for pride after their 7-0 drubbing to Portugal.
The Elephants will be hoping that Brazil can help their cause by scoring a few goals past Portugal in the other Group G match in Durban.
To see if Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side can reach the last 16 then join us for kick-off at 1400 GMT.

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