What a crushing anti-climax...
You have to feel for Sven's Elephants - they're likely to be the eliminated team with the best group stage record (4 points, a positive goal difference), but what will they have to show for it?
Zip - diddly - squat.
But that's what happens when you're drawn in a group with the teams ranked 1 and 3 in the World. The Ivorians must look at Italy (in with numbers 31, 34, and 78) and wonder if they would have made quite such a hash of Group F as the Azzurri managed. Although, to get that draw, Cote d'Ivoire would need to be seeded. And if they continue to fall at the first hurdle on the world stage, coupled with their failure to win the Africa Cup of Nations since 1992, they never will be.
Ah, the cruel cyclical nature of international football. And FIFA wonder why an African team has never got past the Quarter Finals...
With Brazil and Portugal progressing however, we're guaranteed a couple of cracking last 16 games - one of those should face Spain.
The best Second Round game of the last World Cup, was settled thus:
And Argentina face Mexico at the same stage AGAIN on Sunday.
Yes please!
THE STORY SO FAR
Match of the tournament: Slovakia 3-2 Italy
Player of the tournament: Keisuke Honda (Japan)
Goal of the tournament: Tshabalala (South Africa v Mexico)
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