Tuesday Jan 28, 2025. 11:00
Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae is backing his team to go all the way once more at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after their remarkable success on home soil last year.
The Elephants defied the odds to lift the trophy for the third time at the delayed 2023 edition, having barely scraped into the round of 16 as the fourth-best third-placed team.
Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked before the knockout phase had been finalised and his assistant Fae took charge of the squad for the remainder of the tournament.
Cote d’Ivoire eliminated defending champions Senegal and Mali in dramatic fashion as well as DR Congo before completing the fairytale with a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final.
The draw for AFCON 2025 took place in Rabat on Monday which paired Fae’s side with Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique in Group F.
Fae acknowledged the competition will be fiercer than ever in Morocco, but is confident of retaining the coveted trophy in January 2026.
“Sorry Morocco, but we are bringing the trophy back to Abidjan,” he declared. “There are so many great teams coming to Morocco, but I have no intention of making our supporters cry.
“The key to success for the Elephants will be great preparations. That is a non negotiable.”
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