Injury puts Drogba in doubt

He's got three days to recover before the next game and we'll have to see what we're going to do Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel

Striker Didier Drogba is an injury doubt for Ivory Coast's next African Nations Cup game against Libya.

"He's been carrying this knee injury for a while now," said Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel after the player was surprisingly taken off after 65 minutes of the Group A tie against Morocco, which they won 1-0.

"He's got three days to recover before the next game and we'll have to see what we're going to do."

Drogba converted a 39th-minute penalty to secure a laboured win over a slick Morocco side.

His absence against Libya would be a real blow, particularly as Aruna Dindane, the other half of the Ivorian striking duo, has returned left the team, following the death of one of his twin daughters.

Despite having a doubt over his US$42 million striker for Tuesday's game against Libya in Cairo, Michel was satisfied with Saturday's win.

"It's good to have won, even though it was a difficult game against a very good Morocco side and on a pitch where you couldn't play quality football. It was too hard and too bobbly," he said.

Drogba said the win will enable his colleagues to prepare for the next two group games without panicking.

"We played well, and handled things very professionally. It's important for the rest of the campaign to have started well."

Meanwhile, Morocco defender Noureddine Naybet, whose team reached the 2004 final against Tunisia, pinpointed the lack of finishing for his side's defeat.

"We didn't make the most of what we had...and they took their chance and scored," he said. "There are two matches to go, we'll have to handle them properly."