[WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] Guus Hiddink won't being coaching Ivory Coast at the World Cup. The Dutchman, who has coached the Netherlands (1998 semifinals), South Korea (2002 semifinals) and Australia (2006 second round) at the last three World Cups, says he'll finish up his contract with Russia in June, then take his new job with Turkey.

"I must admit that Ivory Coast did not make the decision easy," Hiddink wrote in his column in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. "Didier Drogba [who played for Hiddink at Chelsea] lobbied hard to get me and also [Ivory Coast federation president Jacques] Anouma came to me with an excellent proposal."

Ivory Coast fired Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic after the Elephants lost to Algeria in the the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals in January.