Team Profile: Ivory Coast

Appearances at finals:
2006 - First round

Overall record at finals: Played 3, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 2.

Best performance: First round in 2006.

Most appearances at finals: Didier Zokora (2006), Arthur Boka (2006), Yaya Toure (2006), Emmanuel Eboue (2006) - 3.

Most goals at finals: Aruna Dindane (2006) - 2.

World Cup high: Beating Serbia & Montenegro 3-2 in their final group game at the 2006 finals to record their first ever World Cup victory.

World Cup low: After winning the 1992 African Nations Cup, big things were expected of the 'Elephants', but they failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup finals, crashing 4-1 to Nigeria in their final qualification group game and losing out to the 'Super Eagles' on goal difference.

World Cup legend: The likes of Didier Drogba or Yaya Toure may spring to mind, but Aruna Dindane is the man who handed the 'Elephants' their first finals victory with his double salvo against Serbia & Montenegro.

The story so far: In 2006, Ivory Coast made history by competing in their first finals and were tipped to impress with a host of Premier League stars in their ranks. They had emerged as victors of a tricky African qualification group containing Egypt and Cameroon but, unfortunately, the 'Elephants' were again drawn in the so-called 'group of death' for the finals - alongside Argentina, Netherlands and Serbia & Montenegro. The 'Elephants' gave a good account of themselves, losing by a single goal to the Netherlands (2-1) and Argentina (2-1).

Amazingly, the 'Elephants' went 2-0 down in each of their three group stage encounters but, against Serbia & Montenegro in the dead rubber that concluded their campaign, Ivory Coast came back with a brace from Dindane and a late penalty from Bonaventure Kalou handing the 'Elephants' their first ever World Cup victory.

Prior to the 2006 tournament, Ivory Coast had suffered a number of disappointing qualification campaigns, including losing out to a dominant Tunisia side in 2002 qualification, failing to even make the final round after crashing to a 3-1 defeat to Congo for the 1998 tournament and missing out on a place at the 1994 finals on goal difference to Nigeria, despite being widely fancied after lifting the African Nations Cup in 2002.

Qualification: It was a fairly comfortable qualifying campaign this time round for the 'Elephants' and they qualified for the 2010 finals with a game to spare. In the first round, Ivory Coast followed the African qualification manual to a tee, drawing their three away matches and winning all their home games to see off Mozambique, Madagascar and Botswana.

In the second round, they were drawn alongside Malawi and neighbours Burkina Faso and Guinea. In African qualifying, it is often a blessing when you face countries who are within a close travelling distance and the 'Elephants' took full advantage, beating Guinea and Burkina Faso home and away to win the group at a canter.

Qualifying record (second round): P6, W3, D3, L0, F10, A2, Pts12.

Qualifying record (third round): P6, W5, D1, L0, F19, A4, Pts16.

Most appearances: Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboue (12).

Top goalscorer: Didier Drogba (6).