Abu Dhabi: Football friendlies are rarely enthralling affairs and often just glorified kickabouts, with experimentation and blooding new players the name of the game.
This was certainly the case at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, where the Ivory Coast beat Sweden 2-1 and handed a debut to the Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.
The 24-year-old, who resisted England coach Gareth Southgate’s attempts to persuade him to represent the country where he moved to as a four-year-old, appeared as a second-half substitute and showed glimpses of pace and trickery that led to him once playing for Manchester United.
He also supplied the assist for the Elephants’ second goal.
His arrival means the Ivory Coast can head to next week’s Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon (January 14-February 5) - confident that they can retain their title given their enviable strength in depth. The most recognisable players in the Ivory Coast’s starting line-up were strikers Salomon Kalou, formerly of Chelsea, and Stoke City’s Wilfried Bony.
Also featuring was the 20-year-old Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie, a reported target for the Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Sweden, meanwhile, fielded a young team bereft of the star names of old such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who retired from international duty after last year’s European Championships.
In a virtually deserted stadium, a somniferous first half ensued to match the low-key friendly status of the encounter. The only chance of note early on came when the Ivory Coast midfielder Victorien Angban lashed over from the edge of the box following Bony’s lay-off.
Sweden looked lively on the counterattack and took the lead in the 39th minute when Wilfried Kanon diverted Nicklas Barkroth’s cut-back into his own net. With the last kick of the first period, however, the Elephants equalised when Kalou’s cross was rebounded against Serge N’Guessan by Linus Wahlqvist.
Michel Dussuyer, the Ivory Coast coach, made five substitutions at the break after his side’s lacklustre display – including introducing Zaha – and the latter and his fellow replacement Giovanni Sio made an immediate impact. In the 50th minute, Zaha produced a delightful cross from the right that Sio bulleted in with his head.
The Ivorians - who were cheered on by a small band of vuvuzela-wielding fans - were now well in the ascendancy, with another half-time substitute, Jean Seri, firing a long-range curler just over the bar.
Dussuyer’s men looked a far more threatening proposition than their ponderous first-half showing, with the pace and power of Zaha and Kessle particularly noteworthy.
Zaha looked eager to impress, understandably, and dragged a right-foot shot wide with nine minutes remaining following a surging run.
He then played in Mamadou Bakayoko, whose right-wing cross forced Wahlqvist into a desperate, clearing header.
