Ivory Coast performed exactly as might have been expected. They drew against Portugal, lost to Brazil and beat North Korea but not by enough to qualify on goal difference. They needed to score nine times to go through at Portugal’s expense but managed only three. “Our World Cup is over but we can be proud of what we achieved,” said their captain, Didier Drogba. “It was always going to be difficult for us to qualify for the next round but had we been calmer in front of goal, we would have scored more.” Ivory Coast left the World Cup but, unlike Nigeria and Cameroon there was no sense of humiliation about their departure. North Korea, much to Fifa’s relief, are also going home having failed to match their opening display against Brazil and leaving with a goal difference of minus nine.