I don´t want England in first round, admits Drogba

Chelsea star Didier Drogba hopes Ivory Coast dodge England when the 2010 World Cup group draw is made at the International Conference Centre here on Friday evening.

But club and country strike partner Salomon Kalou will be delighted if the ‘Elephants’ end up in the same four-country pool as the ‘Three Lions’.

Drogba, who ranks among the superstars of African football, does not want the Ivorians to experience the same torment as the last World Cup in 2006 when they were grouped with Argentina, Netherlands and Serbia-Montenegro.

The debutants fought bravely under French coach Henri Michel in Germany, falling to narrow defeats against the Argentines and the Dutch before ending with a victory against the Serbians.

It was not enough to prevent a first-round exit for the cocoa-producing west African country in their first appearance at the four-yearly international football showcase.

“I hope we will be in a weaker group than 2006, when we tried to fight our way into the knockout phase but had no chance of going through,” Drogba told fifa.com.

“Hopefully we will be luckier this time and avoid big teams like Brazil, Germany and England,” said the captain of a country whose greatest achievement was winning the 1992 African Nations Cup in Senegal.

Ivory Coast could face title favourites Brazil, dangerous unseeded sides France or Portugal and Mexico in a worst case scenario ‘Group of Death’.

Kalou, meanwhile, has no fear of England, hosts and winners of the 1966 World Cup, who are among the favourites for a tournament won by Italy in Berlin three years ago after a penalty shoot-out with France.

“I would relish the chance to come up against Chelsea team-mates John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard in an England team that can go all the way and win the trophy,” he said.

“It would be a bit weird opposing those you play with at club level, but that is football,” said Kalou, whose partnership with Drogba is among the deadliest in Africa.

“England can win the World Cup because they have good players capable of making a major impact. They are playing much better since Fabio Capello took over as manager.

“Capello makes them respect everything and you need that in football. It is the little things that make all the difference at the highest level.”

Many pundits see Ivory Coast as the best hope of an African victory at the first World Cup staged on the continent, with Drogba, Kalou, Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure and older brother Kolo of Manchester City their stars.