Injured Côte d'Ivoire striker Didier Drogba stayed out of the public eye on Tuesday as his team-mates missed a host of chances in a 1-1 2010 FIFA World Cup™ warm-up draw against Swiss second division club Lausanne.
Drogba, who fractured a forearm in a friendly against Japan last Friday, was not seen during the game at Colovray stadium in Nyon, western Switzerland. The Côte d'Ivoire football federation had signalled more than day ago that the Chelsea player was expected to follow the squad from the touchline here, after an operation in a hospital in Berne on Saturday.
Lausanne went ahead completely against the run of play in the first half to with a low header by defender Guillaume Katz, in one of their only chances in 90 minutes. Côte d'Ivoire kept the bulk of possession in a slow-paced game the day before the squad is due to fly out to South Africa after a two week training camp in the Swiss Alps.
Coach Sven Goran Eriksson fielded all his remaining strikers in the match in Drogba's absence. But the west Africans were defeated by wayward finishing and last ditch blocks despite at least half a dozen clear chances.
Côte d'Ivoire suffered from the lack of a clear pointman until Lille's Gervinho spared his side some blushes. Ivorian spokesman Ouattara Hegaud said on Monday that no decision has yet been taken on 32-year-old Drogba's fitness for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Under FIFA rules, a replacement can be drafted in until the day before a team's first game on 15 June against Portugal.
Côte d'Ivoire will play in Group G, where they will also face Brazil and Korea DPR.
Drogba, who fractured a forearm in a friendly against Japan last Friday, was not seen during the game at Colovray stadium in Nyon, western Switzerland. The Côte d'Ivoire football federation had signalled more than day ago that the Chelsea player was expected to follow the squad from the touchline here, after an operation in a hospital in Berne on Saturday.
Lausanne went ahead completely against the run of play in the first half to with a low header by defender Guillaume Katz, in one of their only chances in 90 minutes. Côte d'Ivoire kept the bulk of possession in a slow-paced game the day before the squad is due to fly out to South Africa after a two week training camp in the Swiss Alps.
Coach Sven Goran Eriksson fielded all his remaining strikers in the match in Drogba's absence. But the west Africans were defeated by wayward finishing and last ditch blocks despite at least half a dozen clear chances.
Côte d'Ivoire suffered from the lack of a clear pointman until Lille's Gervinho spared his side some blushes. Ivorian spokesman Ouattara Hegaud said on Monday that no decision has yet been taken on 32-year-old Drogba's fitness for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Under FIFA rules, a replacement can be drafted in until the day before a team's first game on 15 June against Portugal.
Côte d'Ivoire will play in Group G, where they will also face Brazil and Korea DPR.
