Drogba returns as Ivorians beat Mali
Reuters - Tuesday 08 February 2011, 21:00
VALENCE - Didier Drogba returned to
the Ivory Coast team but failed to score as the Elephants beat
Mali 1-0 on Tuesday in an ill-tempered friendly on Tuesday.
Didier Ya Konan's third-minute goal won the game for Ivory
Coast, who were celebrating the return of Drogba who was playing
for his country for the first time since last year's World Cup
after requesting time away from the international game.
Ya Konan was one of two players who later left the pitch on
a stretcher as a result of some violent tackling.
The game had to be briefly stopped 12 minutes from the end
when a fight broke out among the players. The match was then
brought to a close two minutes early when the lights went out at
the stadium in Valence, France.
The sides were using the match to prepare for next month's
resumption of the qualifiers for the 2012 African Nations Cup.