Côte d’Ivoire Football Association President Yacine Idriss Diallo expresses confidence in the country’s preparations for the upcoming African Cup of Nations, set to begin on January 13.

Hosting the event for the first time since 1984, Diallo emphasises the significance of the competition for Ivory Coast, highlighting the substantial investment and heartfelt dedication put into the organisation since 2014.

Diallo downplays the favoritism towards Nigeria’s Super Eagles, considering Morocco, Senegal, and Egypt as the frontrunners. Despite acknowledging that Ivory Coast is not the favorite, he trusts the team’s potential, noting the inclusion of young players in their first major competition.

Diallo aims for a strong squad and expresses determination to go as far as possible, aspiring to clinch the trophy.

“This event means a lot of things for our country, it’s a very important event. Since 2014, when it was decided that Ivory Coast would organise this competition, our country put in a lot of money,” Diallo told FourFourTwo magazine.

“But more than money, we put our heart in this organisation. And now I can say that we’re ready. We’re really ready. I can say that. I trust our team but we know that we are not favourite. The favourites are Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, all those teams,” Diallo said.

“We’re building a new team. If you see our team now, I think 30% are very young, it’s their first competition. But we will try to bring a very good squad to be ready. So we will try to do our best to go as far as possible and try to win the trophy. This is why we are here.”