Ivory Coast will be looking to preserve their great form in recent months when they take on Monaco in a World Cup qualifying match.

Manager Sabri Lamouchi has selected the players for this match, and he has stated that he is delighted with the squad. Regarded as one of the best teams in Africa only a few years ago, Ivory Coast have been also known as the chokers in recent times. They have failed to win the African cup of nations despite going very close on several occasions.

The manager of the Ivory Coast national football team, Sabri Lamouchi, has announced a 23-member squad for the upcoming friendly match against Mexico which is going to be played at MetLife Stadium, New York.

The veteran player Didier Drogba has also managed to find a spot in that squad. The 35 years old striker has come back into the national team after a gap of 5 months. He was dropped after Ivory Coast’s poor outing in Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

The top four seem to have stamped their authority on the 2013/14 season before a ball’s been kicked, largely due to the fact that Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea are keen to capitalise on Fergie’s retirement which has blown betting odds all over.

Ivory Coast national team manager Sabri Lamouchi has said that the future looks bright for the country after the under 17 team managed to win the African youth championship recently.

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has been one of the instantly identifiable player within the Ivory Coast squad over the last decade.

The 35-year-old has been regarded as one of the best players in the world since joining Chelsea back in 2006. He has helped the Ivory Coast team reach several African cup of Nations finals over the years. However, he has been unable to lead the team to success despite being the captain of the team. The team containing Drogba has often been referred to as the Golden generation of Ivory Coast.

Despite the elimination of Ivory Coast from the African cup of nations at the quarter-final stage itself, the manager of the national team, Sabri Lamouchi has said that he will not be resigning from his post. He has also said that he believes Ivory Coast have a good tournament.

Ivory Coast have been the favourites to lift the African cup of nations for quite a while now. This has been due to the presence of several high profile players like Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, but they have failed to deliver this trophy. Ivory Coast were last successful in this tournament back in 1992.

The Arsenal and Ivory Coast winger Gervinho has said that he wants to erase the painful memories of the last years defeat in the African cup of nations when the team that defeated on penalties to the minnows Zambia.

The Ivory Coast national team manager Sabri Lamouchi has said that he feels that the national team should not waste the talents of the ‘Golden generation’ and should win the 2013 African cup of nations at all costs.

The Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is extremely close to committing his future to the England national team rather than to the Ivory Coast national team.

The former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has said that he will be doing everything he can to help Ivory Coast reach the finals of the African cup of nations that will be held in January.