Ivory Coast ....... V ....... Japan 
Venue: Itaipava Arena Pernambuco (Recife, Pernambuco)
Date: Saturday, June 14
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Ivory Coast are waiting on the fitness of key men Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure ahead of their FIFA World Cup opener against Japan. Veteran striker Drogba handed coach Sabri Lamouchi a scare in preparation for the Group C match at Recife's Arena Pernambuco on Saturday when he limped out of Thursday morning's training session. The 36-year-old collided with defender Didier Zokora and sustained a knock to his thigh and Lamouchi is likely to turn to Swansea City's Wilfried Bony to lead the attack if Drogba is unable to fully recover in time.
Toure's own thigh injury is a longer-term complaint that he sustained during Manchester City's 3-2 defeat at Liverpool in April before returning to inspire Manuel Pellegrini's team to the Premier League title. Nursing himself through those late-season heroics came at a price for Toure and his national team and the 31-year-old midfielder has not taken part in any of the Ivory Coast's recent warm-up friendlies. If Toure is passed fit, as brother Kolo has been despite a recent bout of malaria, he will pose a key threat to Japan - a vibrant and inventive side under the guidance of wily Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni.
But Japan's own midfield lynchpin Keisuke Honda believes it would be foolish to focus on the potential impact of one player when faced with the Ivory Coast, who failed to progress beyond the 2006 and 2010 World Cup group stages despite having a lavishly gifted group at their disposal. Honda himself hopes to make a statement at the World Cup having suffered a difficult start to life at Milan following a January switch to Serie A from CSKA Moscow.
Zaccheroni this week offered public backing amid questions over the playmaker's form and Honda outlined the rigorous schedule he has endured to make sure he hits peak World Cup fitness.
Ivory Coast defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote could have an important role in shackling the creative talents of Honda and Shinji Kagawa. Amid the star names he shares a dressing room with, the Newcastle United player believes Lamouchi has the right approach to slot the Ivory Coast's impressive squad together into a formidable unit.
Japan head into the game having won their last five games, a run that included a 3-2 victory over Belgium in Brussels.