WC Preview: Netherlands vs. Côte d'Ivoire

Soccerway - 15 June 2006 23:06

Arjen Robben was the Dutch hero against Serbia & Montenegro (Action Images)

STUTTGART, Jun 15 (SW) - The Netherlands head into their game against Côte d'Ivoire unbeaten in their last 13 competitive matches and will look to extend this against the Africans.

Côte d'Ivoire won lots of praise for their performance against Argentina, but coach Henri Michel has already made clear his feelings regarding the next Group C game, commenting, "We know that if we lose we have to go home and that was not why

we came to Germany."

The only change that is expected in the African side's line up is the replacement of creative midfielder Bonaventure Kalou with Aruna Dindane, whilst the Dutch are likely to stay with the same line up that earned them a win against Serbia & Montenegro.

Dutch coach Marco van Basten has also revealed that he will not treat Côte d'Ivoire's leading scorer, Didier Drogba differently to any other srtiker insisting, "We have no special anti-Drogba plan."

<b>Discipline:</b>

Each side has two players who are booked, the Netherlands must keep Giovanni van Bronckhorst and John Heitinga clear of any more yellow cards, should they want to play in the last group game.

The Côte d'Ivoire pair of Emmanuel Eboué and Drogba also received bookings whilst playing Argentina and will look to stay of the referee's notebook.

<b>Facts:</b>

The entire Ivory coast World Cup squad play their football abroad, this include's Kolo Habib Toure at Arsenal, Arouna Konee of PSV and African football's most expensive player, Didier Drogba of Chelsea.

The Netherlands will be looking to progress past the group stages, as this is their eighth World Cup finals and they were runners up in 1974 and 1978 tournaments.

<b>Head to head:</b>

This will be the first time the Netherlands and the Ivory Coast meet each other.

<b>Probable line-ups:</b>

Netherlands: Van der Sar, Heitinga, Ooijer, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst, Van Bommel, Sneijder, Cocu, Van Persie, Van Nistelrooy, Robben.

Ivory Coast: Tizié, Eboué, K. Touré, Boka, Meite, Zokora, Akalé, Y. Toure, Dindane, Keita, Drogba

<b>Location:</b> Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart

<b>Time:</b> 18:00 (6:00pm) CET

<b>Referee:</b> Oscar Ruiz (Colombia)