Drogba is the figurehead of his team here, and the target of most of what they push forward from an able and lively midfield, though the centre-forward would scarcely rank this as his finest hour in international football.
He both won and expertly converted the first-half penalty that made the difference in a contest where the Ivorians had the lesser possession, much the fewer chances, half the shots on goal of their opponents and a mere one corner to Morocco’s 12.
It became a genuine riddle as to how the North Africans had not scored at least once, through the energetic Youssef Hadji or from the head of Marouane Chamakh.
For Morocco, clawing their way back in the group will be complicated from here. Egypt’s 3-0 win on opening night puts the hosts and the Ivorians, who play a weak Libya next, in pole position. The Ivory Coast have learned to appreciate good luck when it comes to them.
Back in October, they reached the first World Cup finals of their history thanks to events at a distance, notably the failure of Cameroon to convert an injury-time penalty in the final qualifying match.
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Ivory Coast thus qualified at Cameroon’s expense, encouraging the rest of the game to believe a revolution had taken place in the power structures of Africa’s favourite game. The same day, Ghana, Togo and Angola also secured debut World Cup places, and like Cameroon, serial finalists Nigeria were in the unfamiliar position of staying at home.
Revolution it may be, but not enough to impact greatly on how bookmakers view the 25th African Cup of Nations. Nigeria and Cameroon are among the favourites here and it is the Ivorians who were expected to best represent sub-Saharan Africa at the World Cup in June.
Or they were until the draw for the group stage, where they were pooled with Holland, Argentina and Serbia and Montenegro.
Nor do Ghana have it much easier, facing Italy, the Czech Republic and the USA. The suspicion is that Africa’s new rulers may find their reigns rather short come the summer.
Certainly, a Dutchman like Ruud van Nistelrooy or an Argentinian such as Hernan Crespo would have enjoyed the loose look of the Ivorian defending against Morocco.
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The tall Chamakh enjoyed several opportunities to head unmarked at Jean-Jacques Tizie’s goal, some of the fault lying with Arsenal’s Kolo Toure at the centre of Ivory Coast’s back four.
Tizie had a good game though, and by the time Ivory Coast took their lead, seven minutes before the interval, Morocco ought to have had an advantage. The main squanderer had been Hadji, hitting the outside of the post from close range.
There would be a sliver of doubt about the penalty, too. Emerse Fae curled in an inviting pass to Drogba, who was pursued by Walid Regragui. Regragui tried tugging at Drogba’s shirt, then he tripped him.
The debate was not whether the Chelsea man was fouled but whether the offences took place in or outside the penalty area. Drogba had the benefit of that doubt; Regragui benefited by not being sent off or even cautioned. El Jarmouni, in the Morocco goal dived correctly, but Drogba’s spot-kick beat him.
That turned out to be enough. At the back, Morocco had been organised and stout, Tottenham’s veteran Noureddine Naybet and the Charlton Athletic centre-half Talal El Karkouri largely subduing Drogba and Bonaventure Kalou.
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It was Morocco’s finishing that let them down. Hadji contrived to volley over the bar from six yards in the second period and Ivory Coast, all but one of whose 23-man squad are employed with European clubs, had an opportunity to show some of their strength in depth.
The victory, once secured, came as a relief.
Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o scored a hat-trick as Cameroon beat Angola 3-1 in the opening match in Group B. After curling in a free kick on 20 minutes, he made it 2-1 with a header six minutes before half time and clinched his hat-trick with a drive from distance late on. World Cup qualifiers Angola had equalised on the half hour through a Flavio penalty.
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