The hosts are two wins from claiming their third Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
That journey will start with a semi-final clash against another two-time winner, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday.
For Max Gradel, the incredible moments that saw the team qualify by the skin of their teeth through one of the best four third-placed match and winning their first two knockout games is a scenario they want to continue ahead of the semi-final match.
“The mindset of the team is very good. We are confident, calm, and ready for the match,” Gradel told journalists during a pre-match press conference in Abidjan on Tuesday.
“Each generation lives their time. Golden generation has its story. The current generation wants to write their own stories. This is the same family. We have the same aim and this is what we should have in mind.
“First of all, it is important to get back with a good mindset because we know that the first objective is to focus on the match against DRC. We have been preparing and keep preparing to be ready to do what we are expected to do.”
Like a dead horse that resurrected with more strengths, Emerse Fae’s side has reacted to their abysmal group stage performance with a sight at the title on home soil.
“We have been going through a lot of incredible moments.” He continued. “We had a reshuffle of the squad and had to quickly get back on track to apply the ideas of the coach. With the principle of the coach and the tournament, it takes time. We are forced to lose sight of anything. We want to go far. Things doesn’t go as expected at times. With the confidence that we have regained, we do hope to apply the ideas of the game that we have been preparing for the match.
“We have felt the support of our people during our games showing. It made us have the impression that we are playing 15 against 11. We hope the supporters stay on track in supporting us going forward.
“First of all, I think there is no team that likes to react after conceding. We have to be ready in all aspects. We are confident in our qualities and know what we have to do with compliance with the instructions from our coach.
“It is true that the AFCON in 2015 and this one are different. This one is particular. We are playing at home. It is a special AFCON. The more we live forward the more we feel more stronger. We are gaining confidence as we move forward and it is imperative that we finish well.” He concluded.
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