Portugal and the Ivory Coast played out a 0-0 draw in their World Cup Group G encounter in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.
Elephants coach Sven Goran Eriksson received permission for striker Didier Drogba to play with a protective cast ahead of the game at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but the fractured arm victim – his country’s undoubted top man – was not risked from the start, leaving star status on the field to Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
And the Real Madrid man was the player involved in all the notable early incidents, first trying his luck with a free-kick from 40 yards out that he wastefully struck the wall with after he was fouled by Didier Zokora.
He was oh so close just a few minutes later though when he picked the ball up 25 yards from play and, needing little encouragement, let fly with a dipping shot that swerved off of Boubacar Barry’s right-hand post with the Ivorian goalkeeper well beaten.
The African side’s first chance of note came from a free-kick from Siaka Tiene which flew just to the right, while Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo was also untroubled by Cheik Tiote’s long-range punt as it sailed above his bar.
Ronaldo and the Ivory Coast’s Guy Demel both went in the book after referee Jorge Larrionda was having none of their handbags when Demel – somewhat questionably on this occasion at least - accused his opponent of taking a dive.
The pace of the game died down in what remained of the first half. Portugal attacker Liedson da Silva was seeing nothing of the ball and team-mate Danny was anonymous, though their colleagues’ efforts to find them hardly inspired confidence and Eriksoon's men looked very solid in defence.
At the other end, a flurry of Portugal defenders made sure there was no way through for Salomon Kalou when he profited from a loose pass by Deco and bounded for the box, leaving half-time to whistle with the game in desperate need of a goal.
The vuvuzelas were sounding heavily as Drogba warmed up early in the second half, while on the field his international colleague Gervinho sent a shot from quite a tight angle across goal but Eduardo touched it away.
The Portugal goalkeeper denied a Kalou shot shortly after as the Ivorians enjoyed a decent spell before the dross Danny was replaced by Simao Sabrosa by Carlos Queiroz, the European side’s coach looking for far more penetration from his side.
Liedson’s looping header into the arms of Barry from Ronaldo’s set-up was not exactly what he was looking for, nor was Eriksson’s decision to send Drogba on, cast and all, in the 64th minute as a replacement for Chelsea club-mate Kalou.
However, for the next quarter of an hour, the Blues ace did not receive any service as neither his side nor the Portuguese looked like having the cleverness to outfox their opposing defences.
An overhead attempt from Liedson connected only with the shoulder of Zokora before Portugal went a little closer with efforts from range, first from Raul Meireles from play then from a Ronaldo free, but still a goal would not come.
Portugal sub Ruben Amorim half-volleyed badly over in the final minute of normal time before Drogba could not get his shot goal-ward when played in in stoppage-time.
In the end, neither team did enough on the day to win the game and should Brazil – if expected – go on to win this group, it could come down to who of Portugal or the Ivory Coast scores the most against unfancied North Korea to see who goes through to the second round with them.