The final whistle of the Ivory Coast-Norway match left a particularly bitter taste for the Ivorians. Despite their exemplary fighting spirit, the Elephants were defeated by the Vikings (2-1). This crucial loss provoked the fury of Ivorian football legend Didier Drogba.

Didier Drogba's outburst about VAR

For the former star striker, the outcome of the match should have been very different if the refereeing had been up to par. The reason? A blatant foul in the penalty area that went unpunished. On his X account (formerly Twitter), Drogba didn't hide his indignation:

"It's shameful that penalty wasn't given to Nicolas Pépé. PFFFF, what's the point of VAR?"

Franck Kessié: "A bitter defeat, but a matter of experience."

For his part, the Elephants' captain, Franck Yannick Kessié, expressed his deep disappointment at this cruel outcome, while trying to put his team's lack of realism into perspective.

1. A close match: "This defeat leaves a very bitter taste. The match was fair, 50-50. But Norway knew how to exploit our slightest mistakes in the details."
2. A lack of realism: "For our part, the only real chance we converted was Ahmad's goal. That's football, we lacked vigilance in the final minutes. It hurts."
3. The difference in level: "This is our first participation in the World Cup. Our opponents were players used to this level of competition. Experience clearly played in their favor."

Despite the elimination, the captain wanted to thank the team and the fans: "I congratulate my teammates who fought until the very end, as well as the coaching staff. A huge thank you to the Ivorians for their unwavering support. Unfortunately, the adventure ends today."

A sterile but historic domination

The statistics confirm the Elephants' regrets. During the match, Ivory Coast touched the ball 48 times in the opposing penalty area , thus recording the second highest total in history for an African team in the World Cup.

In the modern history of the tournament, only two nations have done "better" in a knockout match that they ultimately lost:

1. Brazil vs Belgium in 2018 (52 balls).
2. Germany vs. Italy in 1970 (49 balls).

Statistical proof that Ivory Coast had the weapons to pass, but that realism — and arbitration — decided otherwise.