Ivory Coast beat Angola on horrendous pitch in first match since African Cup of Nations triumph

Ivory Coast claimed a 2-0 friendly victory over Angola on Thursday night but much of the focus was on the terrible state of the pitch.

Playing at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the national stadium of the Ivory Coast in the capital Abidjan, both sides struggled as the ball often got stuck in the middle of the park.

Despite the poor surface, Ousmane Viera and former Chelsea frontman Salomon Kalou scored to earn a win in front of over 12,000 spectators.

 Ivory Coast and Angola had to contend with the terrible playing surface at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny

Ivory Coast beat Angola 2-0 in the capital Abidjan during a game in which the ball often got stuck on the pitch

Despite the poor surface, Ousmane Viera and former Chelsea man Salomon Kalou each managed to score.

The friendly was Ivory Coast’s first match since Yaya Toure and Co won the Africa Cup of Nations in February

Shocking pitch as Ivory Coast beat Angola by two goals to nil

The stadium also hosts rugby and athletics and has also held games for ASEC Mimosas, the former club of  Kolo Toure.

The match was the Ivory Coast’s first since their Africa Cup of Nations victory earlier this year.

It is not the first game that has been affected by a shocking playing surface this season.

Blackpool’s 4-4 draw with Nottingham Forest last month showed the Bloomfield Road surface is in need of repair while much of the pre-match talk ahead of Bradford’s FA Cup victory over Sunderland centered around the pitch after former Black Cats boss Gus Poyet labelled it ‘one of the worst in the country’.

The pitch cuts up as winger Max Gradel attempts to get the better of Angola’s Osvaldo Paulo Dinis

Former Arsenal frontman Gervinho races away from Angola defender Silva during Ivory Coast’s victory

The Bloomfield Road surface looked in need of repair during Blackpool’s 4-4 draw with Nottingham Forest 

(Source: Daily Mail)