ESPN & the AP have released the following report which has a major impact on the World Cup starting in less than a week.
SION, Switzerland -- Didier Drogba has told teammate Kolo Toure that he will miss the World Cup after breaking his right arm Friday in a warmup match.
Toure says Drogba told him "the World Cup is finished."
The 32-year-old Drogba was taken off 15 minutes into Ivory Coast's 2-0 win over Japan after a high challenge by Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka. He was then rushed to a hospital.
Team spokesman Eric Kacou told The Associated Press that "it is a fracture in his right arm."
Drogba scored 29 goals in 32 Premier League matches this season, helping Chelsea win the title.
Coach Sven Goran-Eriksson said it was unclear if Drogba was injured by the tackle or landing awkwardly, and did not blame Tulio for the challenge.
"It was unlucky. It wasn't bad or stupid. He didn't want to hurt anyone. Football is a game of contact," the Swedish coach said.
Drogba and Tulio clashed feet high in the air as the Ivorian captain flicked the ball over the defender's head. Drogba refused a stretcher and limped off to be replaced by Seydou Doumbia.
Two minutes earlier, Ivory Coast scored when Drogba's 24-yard free kick was deflected by Tulio into his own net.
Drogba's shot took two deflections, the second off Tulio, to deceive Japanese goalkeeperEiji Kawashima and bounce slowly into the bottom right-hand corner.
Defender Kolo Toure scored from close range in the 81st minute, meeting a free kick with a crisp shot. A long free kick from the right side was met on the half-volley by Toure with Kawashima stuck on his goal line.
Japan's fourth straight defeat included more own-goal trouble. It conceded two in a 2-1 loss to England last Sunday.
Ivory Coast plays in Group G with Brazil, Portugal and North Korea.
Japan's Group E has the Netherlands, Cameroon and Denmark.
(Source)
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