Group 3 up for grabs as Libya hold Ivory Coast

TRIPOLI, Libya (GoPharaohs.com) - Rank outsiders Libya held Ivory Coast to an unlikely scoreless draw in their African zone Group 3 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday, putting a kink in the West Africans? World Cup finals hopes.

The Elephants enjoyed most of the possession but squandered several opportunities to take the lead.

Injury concerns about Chelsea hitman Didier Drogba didn?t stop French manager Henri Michel from starting the 26 year old. Drogba didn?t disappoint, unlucky not to score after single-handedly creating two one-on-one encounters with the Libyan goalkeeper.

The Libyans were content to sit back and defend, with an apparent plan to look for goals on the counter-attack. The hosts? best chance came early in the game, with Walid Osman shooting just wide of goal on 15 minutes.

The result keeps Ivory Coast atop the standings with 16 points, but Cameroon (11 points), Libya (11 points), Egypt (10 points), are all within reach.

Four-time African champions Cameroon travel to Benin on Saturday with hopes of reducing the gap to two points. The Indomitable Lions haven?t missed a World Cup finals tournament since Mexico 1986.

Egypt will take the field Sunday against Sudan in Cairo. The Pharaohs will be without starting forwards Ahmed ?Mido? Hossam and Emad Meteb, as they try get to within three points of Ivory Coast. The Elephants host Egypt on June 19 in Abidjan in what is slated to be a decisive encounter for every one of the four teams still in contention.

Only the group winners in the African zone will advance to the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany.