Cote d'Ivoire head coach Jean-Louis Gasset attempted to reduce the pressure on his home squad on Friday by highlighting the defending champions Senegal and World Cup semi-finalists Morocco as likelier candidates to lift the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 70-year-old, who is leading his first team on the continent in a 37-year coaching career, conceded his men were feeling the strain of hosting the biennial event.
"We just need to live with it," said Gasset, a former assistant to Laurent Blanc during his time as head coach at Paris Saint-Germain and then at the France national team.
"My job is to transform the pressure into something positive, to make sure that gives the players strength and confidence.
"I've been Cote d'Ivoire coach for 20 months now, and we've tried to do our best.
"But ultimately I haven't changed my mind. We know who the favourites are."
Gasset was a surprise choice to take over from the Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle despite a CV boasting stints as assistant or head coach at the French clubs Montpellier, Caen, Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne.
'Biggest challenge of my life'
"I've been through a lot," Gasset added. "But now I'm discovering something new, under greater pressure, and I want to fulfil the dream of an entire people.
"It's the biggest challenge of my life. That's why I've accepted this challenge."
His task was further complicated on Friday when he was forced to rule out striker Sebastian Haller from Saturday night's opening match against Guinea-Bissau.
The 29-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker has failed to recover from an ankle injury and could even miss the crunch Group A tie against Nigeria on 18 January at the Alassane Outtara Stadium.
"We have several days before that game and we will see how he gets on," Gasset said.
No more small teams
The Brighton and Hove Albion winger Simon Adingra is also set to miss out against Guinea-Bissau with a muscle injury.
Guinea-Bissau, who at 103 lie 54 places below Cote d'Ivoire in the Fifa rankings, have never won a game in three previous appearances at the Cup of Nations.
But Beciro Candé's charges served notice of their burgeoning power with a victory in Nigeria during the qualifying tournament.
"There are no small teams anymore," insisted Gasset. "The aim is to get off to a good start but we need to make sure we respect the opposition."
Scrutiny
The Confederation of African Football (Caf), which organises the tournament, will be under as much scrutiny as the players at the Alassane Outtara Stadium.
Caf executives need to show proof they have cauterised the logistical incompetence that led to a crush and stampede that left eight people dead and dozens injured when hosts Cameroon played Comoros in the last 16 at the Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé.
"I am satisfied the appropriate steps have been taken to make sure we will totally avoid the painful experience we had in Cameroon," said Caf supremo Patrice Motsepe.
The Ivorian government has invested more than a billion euros revamping the country's infrastructure as part of the preparations to stage the tournament for the first time since 1984.
Nearly 20,000 police and soldiers will be deployed in and around the six sites in Abidjan, Bouaké, Korhogo and San Pedro during the month-long competition.
"The Cameroon accident was absolutely avoidable," admitted Motsepe.
"I am satisfied that there is a huge amount of determination and commitment to prevent it happening again and I think we are on the right track."
