RECIFE, Brazil (AP) – Ivory Coast’s all-time top scorer Didier Drogba was left out of the starting line-up for the World Cup Group C opener against Japan tonight and was replaced by Wilfred Bony.
However, a lingering hamstring injury was not enough to side-line star Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure.
Drogba has scored 64 international goals, but was seen limping off the practice field last Wednesday with a thigh injury after a collision with Didier Zokora. Even before that, coach Sabri Lamouchi had indicated that the 36-year-old former Chelsea star had competition for the starting striker’s spot.
Toure is coming off a 20-goal campaign that helped Manchester City to their second Premier League title in three seasons. However, his brother, Kolo, a Liverpool defender, was not in the starting line-up. He was in the squad despite being diagnosed with Malaria.
Japan’s captain, midfielder Makoto Hasebe, who’d been recovering from a knee injury, was included in the starting 11.
Ivory Coast: Boubacar Barry, Serge Aurier, Souleymane Bamba, Arthur Boka, Didier Zokora, Cheikh Tiote, Serey Die, Yaya Toure, Salomon Kalou, Gervinho, Wilfred Bony
Japan: Eiji Kawashima, Yuto Nagatomo, Atsuto Uchida, Maya Yoshida, Makoto Hasebe, Hotaru Yamaguchi, Masato Morishige, Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki, Yuya Osako.
