Football Betting To Be Driven By Sven's World Cup Appearance?

Bookmakers provides football betting odds for Sven and the Ivory Coast.

Football betting could be driven by the news that Sven Goran Eriksson is set to take over as manager of the Ivory Coast for this summer's World Cup.

The former England boss left Notts County earlier in the season and has since been linked with a number of managerial positions.

It is by no means certain that the Swedish manager will meet Fabio Capello's England as the Ivory Coast are grouped with Brazil, Portugal and North Korea.

Odds of 40/1 are offered by William Hill for him to knock the Three Lions out of the competition, while it is 16/1 that they meet at the tournament.

"It would be the irony of ironies if Sven and Drogba teamed up to knock England out of the World Cup," said William Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Optimistic betters could fancy a punt on a final pairing of England and the Ivory Coast which is available at 50/1.