Drogba on target as Ivorians qualify for World Cup

10 October 2009 16:40

Didier Drogba (left) of Ivorian national football team Elephants of the Ivory Coast, vies a teammate during a training in September in Abidjan. Ivory Coast have qualified for the World Cup finals following a 1-1 draw with Malawi in Blantyre, Chelsea´s Didier Drogba netting the crucial equalising goal for the visitors.

BLANTYRE (AFP) - Ivory Coast on Saturday qualified for the World Cup finals following a 1-1 draw with Malawi in Blantyre, Chelsea's Didier Drogba netting the crucial equalising goal for the visitors after Jacob Ngwira's opener.

The Ivorians, who have 13 points from five matches, cemented top spot in Group E, seven points ahead of Burkina Faso with just one game remaining.

Ngwira put Malawi in front on 63 minutes but Drogba levelled matters three minutes later as the 'Elephants' ensured their second finals appearance after Germany 2006, where they failed to emerge from a group also comprising Argentina, Holland and Serbia-Montenegro.