Côte d'Ivoire hung on to their first-leg lead to get past Senegal and make it to their third-successive
FIFA World Cup™, with Salomon Kalou's late equaliser settling frayed nerves in a 1-1 draw.
The Elephants made it to Brazil 2014 with a 3-2 aggregate win, but they were very much second-best
as Moussa Sow's late penalty saw the Lions of Terranga come within a goal of usurping Sabri
Lamouchi's side, before Kalou's lat-gasp leveller.
After a lacklustre performance by Senegal in the first-leg, overturning the 3-1 deficit always looked
like it would be a challenge, though Papiss Cisse's away goal with virtually the last kick of the game
gave them hope coming into the match in Casablanca.
It looked clear from the way hosts - who were unable to stage the game on home soil because of
riots when the pair met last year - began the game that they knew a quick start was needed. While
Gervinho set some initial pulses racing as quick feet saw him cause havoc in the Senegal area, the
men in orange spent most of the first period on the back foot.
The clearest opportunity of the first-half came after 12 minutes for the chasing side, who were
showing some of the fight that was largely missing in the first leg. Stephane Badji picked out Dame
N'Doye with a cross from the right, but his downward header had to be spectacularly hacked away
by Didier Drogba. The pressure remained, however Idrissa Gueye's follow-up shot was struck firmly
but wide.
Shortly after N'Doye ensured Boubakar Barry in the Elephants' goal was on his toes, firing a free-
kick from an acute angle towards the keeper's near post which he duly punched clear. Sane was
next to try his luck, seeing a shot from the edge of area deflected away for a corner – which could
have gone anywhere – before connecting with a spectacular, goalbound overhead kick that was
charge down by Jean Jacques Gosso.
Cisse saw a volley skip wide before the break, where the host will no doubt have been have been
kicking themselves for not reducing the deficit, but the Newcastle United striker should have opened
the night's scoring straight after the break. A terrible mix-up the back, initiated by Souleymane
Bamba, allowed Cisse to go one-on-one with Barry, but the Lokeren keeper stood tall and kept the
match goalless.
Côte d'Ivoire found any sort of possession difficult as the pressure continued, but N'Doye and Salif
Sane saw efforts go wide and blocked respectively as time ran thin for the Lions of Terranga. But
just as hope looked to be running out, Drogba of all people pulled down Sadio Mane in the area.
Sow converted the penalty to set up a grandstand final 15 minutes.
The visitors sprang into life at this point, with their Brazil 2014 dream no longer looking secure,
with Yaya Toure testing Bouna Coundoul twice as Senegal desperately searched for a dramatic last-
gasp second.
With the hosts pouring forward, a breakaway left the Elephants all free to tie the game as Kalou
slotted through Coundoul and provide relief for a nation.

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