Colombia’s national soccer team arrived in Brazil’s capital Brasilia on Tuesday afternoon, where they will face Ivory Coast on Thursday in the second match of their World Cup campaign, reported Colombia’s El Espectador newspaper.
Los Cafeteros are in Brasilia preparing for their highly anticipated match-up against the Ivory Coast, where a victory would see them take a large stride towards the round of 16.
MORE: Colombia – Cote d’Ivoire World Cup preview: Slowing down the Elephants
National coach Jose Pekerman travelled to Brazil’s capital with his squad of 23, including Carlos Bacca, who will miss the match due to a muscle injury sustained in training.
MORE: Carlos Bacca to miss Colombia’s World Cup match against Ivory Coast
However, versatile midfielder Fredy Guarin will be available after having served a one-match ban for getting sent off in the last of Colombia’s World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay in the country’s city of Asuncion.
| “We are all ready, we know that we have to go out tomorrow and win.” |
Los Cafeteros have been training behind closed doors as coach Pekerman prepares them for the unpredictable and athletic Ivory Coast, who scored two goals in two minutes against Japan in their opening match.
“We are all ready, we know that we have to go out tomorrow and win,” said Colombia’s golden-boy, James Rodriguez, in a press conference on Wednesday.
“We are going to come up against a team of very good chances, of good players,” said coach Pekerman speaking from Brasilia, adding, “we are going to make it a difficult game for them.”
The Colombian Soccer Federation posted pictures of their training session in the Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia on their Twitter account.
#Mundial2014 Imágenes del entreno de nuestra Selección en el estadio Mané Garrincha en Brasilia: pic.twitter.com/IQyHUoDIN7
— Selección Colombia (@FCFSeleccionCol) June 18, 2014
The Colombian soccer team won their first World Cup match in 16 years on Saturday, defeating Greece 3-0.
MORE: Colombia beats Greece 3-0 in 1st World Cup match in 16 years
After Thursday’s meet against Cote d’Ivoire, Los Cafeteros will square-off against Japan on June 24.