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Gervinho scores Ivory Coast's winner
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Headers by Wilfried Bony and Gervinho just 98 seconds apart
took Ivory Coast to a winning start at the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over
Japan in Recife.
Ivory Coast left captain Didier Drogba out of the starting
line-up but it was his arrival off the bench after an hour which coincided with
the African nation finally converting their chances.
Japan's star player Keisuke Honda had put them ahead with an
impressive strike after 16 minutes and, as Ivory Coast continued to miss chance
after chance, it seemed their bid to qualify for the knockout stages would take
an early hit.
However, Drogba's introduction gave their opponents
something else to think about and, while they were doing that, Bony and then
Gervinho both nipped in to convert crosses from right-back Serge Aurier - a
reported transfer target for Arsenal after they lost Bacary Sagna to Manchester
City this week.
AC Milan midfielder Honda had given Japan the lead, drilling
a shot inside a stationary Boubacar Barry's right-hand post.
Atsuto Uchida should have made it 2-0 after cutting in from
the right but opted to go for goal and shot straight at the goalkeeper with
team-mates well placed in the middle.
Ivory Coast, with Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure
captaining the side but plainly not at his best after recovering from a
hamstring injury, stepped up the pressure but failed to test goalkeeper Eiji
Kawashima, with Salomon Kalou heading over from six yards just before the
break.
Either side of Bony making a mess of two headers early in
the second half, Toure appeared to be brought down by Maya Yoshida but no
penalty was awarded.
With frustration growing, Drogba was introduced and, within
six minutes, his side were ahead. Bony equalised in 65th minute with a glancing
header, before former Arsenal forward Gervinho beat Kawashima all too easily at
his near post to stun the Japanese.
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