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The image still hurts.
Didier Drogba stood motionless. Hands on hips. Eyes fixed somewhere into the distance. Around him, Greek players sprinted across the pitch in celebration while the World Cup dream that had followed Côte d’Ivoire across three tournaments slipped away once again.
A penalty in the 93rd minute of the 2014 World Cup for Greece saw a group-stage exit for Côte d’Ivoire
And that was that.
For all the brilliance of Drogba, Yaya Touré, Kolo Touré, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho, Côte d’Ivoire’s golden generation never made it beyond the first round of a World Cup.
They came close. Painfully close.
But football has little interest in “nearly”.
The record books are ruthless. They say the greatest generation in Ivorian football history played at three World Cups and never reached the knockout stage.
Twelve years later, another generation has the chance to change that.
Since Emerse Faé took charge of the team at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d’Ivoire have been on a remarkable rise. The way he has infused so many young players into the squad and built a strong core has helped them compete at a much higher level.
He came in during the 2023 AFCON, with his first game being the round of 16 fixture, and from there they went on to win the tournament.
In their run to qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they did not concede a single goal in 10 games, showing just how strong this team has become. Even at the 2025 AFCON, it took losing to seven-time champions Egypt in the quarter-final to end their title defence.
Now onto their World Cup campaign.
Drawn into Group E alongside Germany, Ecuador and debutants Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire started their campaign against Ecuador in a game that saw young players like Diomande, Oulai and Amad impose themselves on the biggest stage.
Amad Diallo, who came on as a substitute, scored the winner in the 86th minute. You could argue they had a bit of luck on their side, with Ecuador hitting the post several times, but none of that mattered in the end. They got the much-needed win and made the perfect start.
Then came their second game against Germany.
They took the lead in the 30th minute through Franck Kessie after a brilliant move. Yan Diomande’s work into the box created the opening, Amad saw his shot saved, and Kessie was alert enough to redirect the ball into the opposite direction and give the Ivorians the advantage.
It was a game where they matched Germany and, at one point, could have even been two or three goals ahead. But Denis Undav’s brace turned the game around and eventually saw Germany win.
It was a painful one for many of their supporters, and Africans watching around the world, because Côte d’Ivoire simply had no business losing that game.
Simon Adingra was not spared from the criticism either. After a brilliant ball into the box from Pepe, he had a chance to take a shot but instead chose to dribble, missing what could have been the winning moment.
A few minutes later, Undav scored Germany’s winner.
For a nation that have never progressed to the knockout stage of a World Cup, the perfect opportunity to make history could not have arrived in a better setting than against a giant like Germany, a team that have lifted the trophy four times.
It didn’t happen.
Now, there is one more chance to do what the generation of superstars labelled “golden” couldn’t do.
Côte d’Ivoire face Curaçao on Thursday night, and only one thing will be on their mind: win.
On paper, it looks like a straightforward game. Curaçao have a goal difference of -6 and suffered a 7-1 defeat against Germany. But if this World Cup has shown us anything, it is that no game comes easy, it has to be earned.
We have seen Curaçao frustrate Ecuador, Turkey create chance after chance without finding the net, and debutants Cape Verde hold World Cup winners Uruguay and Spain.
A draw could also be enough for Côte d’Ivoire to reach the next round, but they have to approach the game as if they have no points at all. They cannot afford to be surprised when history is within reach.
Even Didier Drogba is hoping this team can finally achieve what previous generations could not, and he showed his support after the defeat to Germany in a tweet.
Salomon Kalou, speaking as an analyst on SuperSport after the game, could not hide his disappointment, but he was also looking ahead with optimism towards the final match.
These legends may not have done it themselves when they had the chance, but they are fully behind this current crop of players to create their own moment.
Egypt have already won their first ever World Cup game and are now close to reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
Côte d’Ivoire players know there may never be a better time than now to make history.
Hopefully, history is kind enough not to let this opportunity pass them by again.
