After landing in, arguably, the toughest group of all at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ alongside Argentina and the Netherlands, Côte d'Ivoire missed out on a place in the last 16, but the technically adept and athletic Africans won plenty of new friends in Germany. FIFA.com users have now backed the team spearheaded by superstar Didier Drogba to claim the honours at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2008.

In our latest user poll, we asked you to name your favourites to become the new continental champions. A total of 24.58 per cent of our readers picked the Elephants to win the finals in Ghana, comfortably ahead of holders Egypt on 20.45 per cent, with Nigeria (18.23 per cent), Ghana (15.20 per cent) and Cameroon (12.59 per cent) rounding out the top five.

Some 8.95 per cent plumped for a nation outside the top five, and with good reason: the likes of Morocco, Tunisia and 2010 FIFA World Cup™ hosts South Africa will certainly consider themselves contenders for the prestigious title.

Côte d'Ivoire won the poll of French-language (35.94 per cent), Spanish (30.48 per cent) and German (40.58 per cent) users, but the English-language version of FIFA.com produced a strikingly different result, with Egypt (27.25 per cent) finishing clearly ahead of coach Ulli Stielike's men (19.92 per cent). Another out-of-the-ordinary result came from the French site, where the option of 'any other team' polled a strong 30.46 per cent to finish second.

Excitement appears guaranteed when the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on 20 January 2008 in Accra. Group A sees hosts Ghana battling it out with Guinea, Namibia and Morocco for places in the quarter-finals, while favourites Côte d'Ivoire contest Group B alongside Nigeria, Benin and Mali. Defending champions Egypt are in Group C with Cameroon, Sudan and Zambia, while Group D comprises South Africa, Tunisia, Senegal and Angola. A real festival of football lies ahead.

All eyes on Brazil
Join in and cast your vote the next time FIFA.com sets out to uncover the latest opinions and trends. Our new poll homes in on the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2007, which opens in Rio de Janeiro this Friday. We're asking you to predict the winners. Can Brazil claim another triumph, or will it be another nation's turn this time?