The Elephants of Ivory Coast have beaten a ten-man Serbia and Montenegro 3-2 in their last World Cup Group C encounter at the AllianzArena in Munich on Wednesday.

Goals from Nicola Zigic and Sasa Ilic gave the Europeans the lead against the run-of-play in the first-half, with Arouna Dindane scoring a goal in both halves to equalise for the Cote D’Ivoire, with substitute Bonaventure Kalou getting the win from the penalty-spot.

Neither team has a chance of progressing to the next stage of the tournament, having both lost their opening two matches, but the Ivory Coast came out of the traps very quickly.

Ivorian left-back Arthur Boka had a couple of chances in the opening minutes, but his efforts were wide and Arouna Kone had a shot blocked.

Completely against the run-of-play, Serbia and Montenegro took the lead when Nikola Zigic took advantage of a goalkeeping blunder from Boubacar Barry to tuck away Serbia and Montenegro's first goal of the tournament.

Ivory Coast, who are appearing in the World Cup Finals for the first time, went another goal down in the 20th minute after Pedrag Djordevic placed a free-kick into the area which the Ivorians failed to defend and Sasa Ilic profited from the bad defending and shot home to make it 2-0.

Ivory Coast pulled a goal back in the 35th minute, from the penalty-spot, after Milan Dudic handled the ball in the area.

Arouna Dindane despatched the spot-kick to bring a goal back for the Elephants and it was end-to-end from then until the end of the half.

Albert Nadj, who came on for Krstajic, was sent off in the final minute of the half, for his second booking, after a crude challenge on Abdulkader Keita.

The game went into half-time 2-1 with Serbia and Montenegro leading, but down to ten-men for the remaining 45 minutes of the match.

The second-half saw the Ivorians in control, with an equaliser in the 67th minute when Aruna Dindane scored from a cross from Abdulkader Keita to make it 2-2.

The regular national captain for Ivory Coast Bonaventure Kalou replaced Abdulkader Keita for the last twenty minutes of the match.
The Ivorians were really pushing for a first ever win in the World Cup Finals and their pressure forced a second penalty just four minutes from time with Bonaventure Kalou taking the spot-kick and giving the overjoyed Africans the win.

Even though they were only playing against ten-men in the second-half, the Ivorians just about deserved the win, with Serbia and Montenegro now looking for a new coach for the upcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers, but both teams can fell hard done by in their having been placed in, without doubt, the hardest group in the World Cup Finals.

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