Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé has acknowledged the intense competition his side faces as they attempt to defend their AFCON title in Morocco.
The 41-year-old famously took over from Jean-Louis Gasset during the knockout stages of the previous tournament and went on to lead the Elephants to continental glory on home soil, a triumph that secured his appointment as permanent head coach.
With Ivory Coast set to face Burkina Faso in the round of 16 in Marrakesh on Tuesday, Faé insists the mandate remains unchanged as the champions begin their title defence.
“I just want to achieve the same thing we achieved in Côte d’Ivoire. It will be difficult because we are not at home, but we are ready for that because this is a goal for the whole country.”
The Elephants finished first in their group after clawing their way back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Gabon, a result that pleased Fae following wholesale changes to the starting eleven.
Fae will also be counting not only on talisman Amad Diallo, but attacker Wilfried Zaha to also pick up the pace in the knockout phase.