Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has queried the decision to let Didier Drogba wear a cast on his broken arm during his side's World Cup opener.
Ivory Coast striker Drogba, who appeared as a substitute, was given clearance by Fifa after the cast had been examined by the match referee. Queiroz said: "Fifa delegates decided the referee's decision is final. "This was a bit odd. There are rules that players cannot play with a string bracelet or a plaster." The former Manchester United assistant added: "The solution presented at the meeting on Tuesday was not necessarily one we knew about.
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"I would like to know that all the rules are the same for everybody." Fifa stated on Tuesday that all parties, including match referee Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay and Portuguese team officials, were satisfied that the cast did not pose a danger to other players. Drogba began the match from the bench before Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson elected to bring the 32-year-old Chelsea striker on for Salomon Kalou in the 65th minute.
Drogba had sustained his arm injury during a friendly against Japan on 4 June, and consequently required surgery. Meanwhile, Queiroz believes his opposite number Eriksson had set out plans for Ivory Coast to contain Portugal. "What Eriksson wanted us to do was to take risks so we had to prevent Ivory Coast taking advantage of any errors that we might make," Queiroz stated after the 0-0 draw.
"We had to play intelligently. Our motivation and attitude was clear. Everything is still possible. This is the Group of Death, only two from Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal, with respect to North Korea, can move forward." Portugal's next match is against North Korea in Cape Town on Monday 21 June.
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