Cote d'Ivoire is currently one of the 'big hitters' currently on the African continent and will be expected to do well in the 2010 showpiece.

Their only major success on the international scene came in 1992 when they triumphed in the Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Ghana in a marathon penalty shoot-out final.

The Ivorians might not have a long history of World Cup success, having qualified for the event for the first time in 2006, but the current generation of players is one of the best Cote d'Ivoire have had and much is expected of them in South Africa.

Despite not making it out of the initial group stage at the 2006 event, Ivory Coast - as they are sometimes referred to - did manage to score in all three the matches they played. The mighty Argentina and Holland both defeated the Africans 2-1 before they bounced back to beat Serbia and Montenegro in their final match of the tournament.

Coach: TBC

Captain: Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba is also the top scorer (44 in 67 appearances) and is usually the man the team look to for inspiration.

Star players: Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure