Noticia nº73.383

/noticias.info/ by FIFAworldcup.com

Côte d'Ivoire coach Henri Michel said there were no favourites in Group C as the African side inch closer to their first outing at football’s showpiece tournament.

Talking to press at the team's base in Niederkassel, Germany, the Frenchman appeared relaxed, insisting pressure weighed more heavily on the newcomers' adversaries in Group C - Argentina, the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro.

"We've made a lot of progress in recent weeks and aren't making mistakes now,” he said in reference to the recent 3-0 warm-up win over Slovenia. “I’m very happy. The physical work is done, now we’ll focus on tactical aspects. We’re almost there – just some small details to work on.”

Michel, who led the Elephants to qualification ahead of Cameroon last year and to the runners-up spot at the CAF African Cup of Nations in February, could not be persuaded to name his starting 11 but did reveal that there were no injuries in the squad.

“For most players it’s a dream come true and they will be extremely emotional,” he said, remembering his own FIFA World Cup™ debut aged 31 in Argentina, “but there is no denying the talent this squad possesses.”

Asked by a clutch of Argentinian reporters to single out the South American team’s main threat, the 59-year-old preferred to praise his own side. “I haven’t studied Argentina more than any others,” he said of the Elephants' first opponents on 10 June.

“I work on the strength of my own team. Argentina are a great football nation; they have a massive player reserve and are competitive by nature. We, like Holland, lack a bit of experience but we have a talented and unified bunch. There are no favourites in this group.”

Warm welcome
The Côte d’Ivoire team were welcomed by virtually the entire Niederkassel population when they arrived at their base and found the small village decked out in their colours of orange, white and green flags, together with messages of support written in French.

“We didn’t expect it at all,” said Cyrille Domoraud. “There were so many people the bus could not pass, but we’re happy to have their support.”

PSV Eindhoven striker Aroune Kone said he also hoped their performances at the FIFA World Cup could help bring his own countrymen together. “Although we come from different regions, we have to show we can play as one Cote d’Ivoire team, show unity and set an example to our people.”

After opening against Argentina on Saturday in Hamburg, the Ivorians play the Netherlands in Stuttgart on 16 June and Serbia and Montenegro in Munich five days later.