Krong Angkor

Germany clash is our cup final, says Boka

BERLIN (AFP) - Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba is injured for Wednesday's friendly match against Germany, but his team-mate Arthur Boka said on Tuesday the match will be the African's World Cup final.

The Ivory Coast, ranked 19th in the world according to the sport's global governing body FIFA, take on Germany in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday bidding to claim the European giant's scalp.

The Africans qualified for next year's World Cup unbeaten at the top of their group and even without injured Chelsea star Drogba, who picked up a chest injury against Manchester United recently, they will be dangerous.

"This game for us is like a World Cup final and we really want to win," said Stuttgart's Boka.

Five of the Ivory Coast squad - Drogba and Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou, Yaya Toure of Barcelona, Emmanuel Eboue from Arsenal and Manchester City's ex-Arsenal defender Kolo Toure played in the Champions League's semi-finals.

Ballack was the only member of the Germany squad to play in the competition's later stages, but the Ivory Coast are still waiting for their first major title.

"Many people call us the 'Golden Generation'," Boka said.

"But we need an African Cup or World Cup title otherwise everything we have achieved in the last ten years will be forgotten.

"Many of us are now 28 or 29 and the next few years will be our last to make a difference."

Meanwhile, both Kalou and West Bromwich Albion's centre-back Abdoulaye Meite could miss the friendly against Germany after a fight during training.

The duo missed the Elephants' 3-0 win over Guinea in a 2010 World Cup qualifier on Saturday as a result of the fight on the eve of the match.

The pair have since made up, but the punishment could be extended to Wednesday's game against the Germans and coach Vahid Halilhodzic - not unknown himself for his fiery temperament both as a player and as a coach - will decide whether to select the duo.