Tuesday started with breakfast in the hotel among expectant Cote d'Ivoire technical staff here in Fortaleza as the team geared up for their final Group C game against Greece.

There was no sign of Gervinho­, Didier Drogba or the Toure brothers but the Elephants' other squad members milled around the lobby while the African side's female fans danced and chanted for TV cameras on the street outside.

FIFA and the host cities deserve credit for the transportation to and from games, at least that which I have experienced so far. The city's beachside Zona Hotel is linked to the Arena Castelao by a dedicated bus service that's free if you can produce a match ticket. The stadium is located well out of the city center and the half hour ride took us through some rather down at heel sides of town, even by Brazilian standards. Maybe none of us should have been surprised that we saw an ox lapping at a stream within sight of the stadium but that doesn't happen at most World Cups.

Fortaleza operates at a different pace to the hustle and bustle of Rio but there is no little hustle on the part of its residents. This is essentially an overgrown fishing town with one foot in tourism on account of its surrounding natural beauty, but the fact its main attraction is the central market points to its people's proclivity to trade. This was evident in the fenced corridor from the bus drop-off to the stadium, where hundreds of locals lined the sidewalk selling food and various drinks, as others looked on. This is the first stadium in the world I have visited where anyone has offered to give me a lift to the ground on their bike.

Arena Castelao was much more open than the Maracana had proved to be. After being told that the North Gate was full, and then deciding to ignore that advice and check for myself, there was no line for either the single security check or the subway-style turnstile for the ticket check. Considering the long bus ride and the 20-minute walk, I was pretty shocked to be inside within an hour of setting off. Well done again, Fortaleza.

The same ease presented itself at the concession stands and the first time at this World Cup that ­everything on the menu was available for purchase. After eating the double cheeseburger, I quickly wished the food had remained off limits.

The crowd, which was apparently 50,000 according to the official attendance, was pretty thin on the ground. I found myself between some American frat boys fresh from college and some Brazilian girls who apparently had attended the game in order to swell their collection of selfies. That set the mood. There were pockets of Cote d'Ivoire supporters and several hundred Greece fans who looked like they were on their way to a 300 costume party but most of the crowd were not that interested in the game. They were interested in singing about Brazil winning the World Cup and in doing Mexican Waves, both of which had happened twice within the first four minutes.

The crowd got a better game than they deserved and the many who left at half time missed the drama of a late penalty and African hearts breaking. Before the end of the game the stadium, if not the pitch, had the air of a friendly match. People were moving about to get better seats and many wandered off for more beer. It was a shame given what was at stake for both sides, but perhaps indicative of FIFA overreaching by demanding 12 host cities rather than the necessary eight.

Meanwhile, the Ivorian team are in town for one more night and have been putting a brave face on for the fans camped outside the hotel. If going home is hard to swallow, they aren't letting it show.