Ivory Coast is set to compete in its third World Cup in Brazil. Having been eliminated in the first round in both 2006 and 2010, the team, known as the “Elephants,” is aiming for at least the round of 16 this time around. The team has been drawn into a relatively favorable group with Colombia, Greece, and Japan.
Coach Sabri Lamouchi emphasized the importance of the players’ mentality leading up to the 2014 World Cup in comments to cafonline.com.
“We are going to the World Cup to participate in the most important competition for the players, for our country, and for our federation. We cannot afford to approach it with less than our best physical and mental condition. We need to maintain extreme rigor and discipline. We must be at 100% physically and mentally to compete in this tournament. In our group, it will be the little details that make the difference. It will come down to concentration, focus, and determination. We will need to be more focused and determined than ever before.”
