Football: Togo No Pushover, Warns Ivory Coast Coach

JOHANNESBURG, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Oct, 2016 ) - Defending champions Ivory Coast believe outsiders Togo will pose an equally big threat as higher-ranked Democratic Republic of Congo and Morocco at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

"We must be wary of the Togolese," stressed coach Michel Dussuyer after the Wednesday draw for the January 14-February 5 African football showpiece in Gabon. "They have a lot of good individuals and finished the qualifying competition strongly.

We have to focus on our first game." Ivory Coast and Togo meet on January 16 at Stade Oyem in the opening Group C match followed by DR Congo against Morocco in a double-header. Dussuyer will pit his wits against fellow Frenchman Claude Le Roy, who has coached at eight Cup of Nations and reached the knockout stage seven times.

Le Roy was struck by the enormity of the task facing his team, whose best Africa Cup showing was reaching the 2013 quarter-finals. "Ours is the only group with three former champions in it," said the 67-year-old who coached Cameroon, Senegal, DR Congo, Ghana and Congo Brazzaville before Togo hired him this year.

Le Roy emphasised that his joy and passion have not diminished 31 years after a first appearance in the competition.

He took Cameroon to second place at the 1986 tournament and guided the central African country to victory two years later.

Senegal finished fourth under his guidance in 1990 and Le Roy-led Ghana came third 18 years later. DR Congo coach Florent Ibenge, one of four indigenous coaches among the 16 contenders, believes the group is too close to call.

"We face tough and very good opponents and I believe the matches will be very close," he predicted. After a draw that delivered three 'groups of death', Belgium-born Cameroon coach Hugo Broos said being in the seemingly weaker Group A was no advantage.

"Everyone will expect us to qualify for the knockout stage, but Gabon have home advantage, Burkina Faso came second three years ago and Guinea-Bissau are an unknown quantity." First-time qualifiers Guinea-Bissau are widely regarded as the weakest of the 16 competitors, but coach Baccio Cand had a warning for rivals.

"We eliminated former champions Congo Brazzaville and Zambia and Kenya in qualifying for the first time and my team can do better." Group B comprises Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal and Zimbabwe and Group D includes Ghana, Mali, Egypt and Uganda.