When the Ivory Coast manager Vahid Halilhodi? announced his squad for the forthcoming African Cup of Nations, there were few surprises. In fact, there were none. The Bosnian maestro, as expected, has named an exciting group of players, comprising of some of the biggest names in African football: Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, and Kolo Toure.With a side that will have to adapt to the strenuous climate of Angola, Halilhodi? and almost nineteen million Ivoirians will have high hopes resting on the Babe Ruth Jersey shoulders of Didier Drogba, their all-time leading goal scorer and captain. The thirty-one year old Chelsea forward will want to make a lasting impre sion, after declaring that this will be his last African Cup of Nations. Powerful and with skill in abundance, Drogba has scored an astonishing 42 goals in 61 appearances for the Elephants, including six in qualifying for this prestigious event. The managers of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo will have defensive headaches trying to keep Drogba quiet, with his partnership with club-mate Saloman Kalou po sibly the most prolific in Africa.Didier Drogba is key to Halilhodi?s hopes of African succe sWith stars such as Emerse Fae providing attacking intent from midfield, Yaya Toure will do the ugly stuff, at which he is renowned for being one of the best in the world. Playing his club football in La Liga with Barcelona, the twenty-six Tom Glavine Jersey year old couples physical power with immaculate technique to dominate the midfield area and break down any counter attacks from the opposition. Although his statistics may suggest otherwise, Toure also po se ses a fearful strike. The defensive midfielder can also be utilised as a centre-back, as shown in the 2009 Champions League final where he kept out the threat of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.Yaya Toure; the Ivory Coasts unsung heroIn defence, the Ivory Coasts key player is Yaya Toures elder brother, Kolo Toure. Captain of moneybags Manchester City, twenty-eight year old Toure is widely esteemed for Dansby Swanson Jersey his strength and athleticism, as well as his determined pa sion for victory. After starting his international career in 2000 against Rwanda, Toure is now one of the first names on the team sheet, although his lack of height for a defender slightly restricts his ability to score goals, with only two to his name on the international scene. Together with fellow English-based squad members Emmanuel Eboue and Abdoulaye Meite, Toure is part of Deion Sanders Jersey a unit that sides such as Ghana and Cameroon will find tough to break down. Kolo Toure will be looking to prevent his side from concedingHowever, the Ivory Coast do have one major weakne s; goalkeepers. The fact that first choice keeper Boubacar Barry plies his trade for Lokeren in the Belgian Jupiler League tells a story in itself. Barry was widely blamed for Egypts opening goal during the 2008 African Cup of Nations, letting a weak shot slip under his arms to hand the Pharaohs the lead. Unlike the rest of the squad, there is no strong alternative to solve the shot-stopping solution. Reserve keepers Aristide Zogbo and Vincent Angban play for Maccabi Netanya and ASEC Mimosas respectively, with the latter the only Ivoirian-based player in Halilhodi?s squad.Full squad: Danny Santana Jersey Goalkeepers Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Aristide Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya), Vincent Angban (ASEC Mimosas)Defenders Kolo Toure (Man City), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal), Guy Demel (Hamburg), Souleymane Bamba (Hibernian), Bejamin Angoua (Honved), Arthur Boka (VfB Stuttgart), Aboudalye Meite (West Bromwich Albion), Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes)Midfielders Yaya Toure (Barcelona), Didier Zokora (Sevilla), Emmanuel Kone (International Curtea de Arges), Cheik Tiote (FC Twente), Emerse Fae (Nice), Jean-Jacques Go so (Monaco), Abdul Kader Keita (Galatasary)Forwards Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea), Bakari Kone (Marseille), Aruna Dindane (Portsmouth), Gervinho (Lille)