World Cup 2014: Ivory Coast

The national team of Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), the Elephants of Ivory Coast, are regarded as one of Africa's top soccer teams. They occupy position 23 in the latest FIFA world rankings.

Ahead of their first appearance in Brazil - against Japan on June 14 - tensions are running high back home. In the neighborhood of Kokody, Albert Drogba, father of star player Didier Drogba, gave DW an indication of the state of the family's nerves whenever his son is in action.

"His mother goes to the toilet at least 10 times when Didier is playing. I cannot visit the toilet because his mother spends all her time going there and back." Albert said.

Chances look good this time

Didier Drogba is the captain of the Elephants of Ivory Coast and world soccer body FIFA calls him "one of the all-time greats of African football." He currently plays for the Turkish club Galatasaray SK and is world famous as a fierce striker.

Never before have the Elephants survived the group stage in a FIFA World Cup tournament. In Brazil they are determined to write a new chapter in their country's history. The trio they face this time - in addition to Japan, they are drawn to to play Columbia and Greece - is not as tough as in past tournaments. So, it looks as if it could indeed be third time lucky, after the early departures in 2006 and 2010.

Fans share pleasure and pain

Nerves will be put to the test not only in Kokody, where Drogba's family will be following the matches with neighbors, but also across the entire nation.

Moure Toure has not one but two sons playing for the national team and knows all about the emotional side to soccer. "When my children play well, many people come here expressing happiness saying: 'Mr Toure has given us good children,' and I happily buy drinks for them," Toure said. But when the team lose, it's a different story and Toure and his family have to bear the brunt of the fans' displeasure.

For the FIFA World Cup 2014, Moure Toure has bought a new television set in order to watch his sons Yaya and Kolo play in Brazil and see whether coach Sabri Lamouchi has done a god job in preparing the team for what everyone is hoping will be their best performance yet.

Fans are also hoping that Ivorian state television RTI will manage to broadcast the matches without any hitches. Ahmadou Bakayoko, Director General at RTI, told DW that plans were in place for full coverage. "We are going to have a team in Brazil and we are also mobilizing to deploy reporters all over Ivory Coast to share the emotions of people following the matches," he said.

If the Elephants really do make it beyond the group stage, there will be a country-wide explosion of emotions.