Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has revealed he genuinely believes Ivory Coast can win the World Cup.
Ahead of tonight's massive opener against Argentina, Drogba said: "Jose Mourinho spoke to me before I left London and told me I can win the World Cup if I believe.
"I do believe we can win it."
Spearheading their challenge will be Drogba, an icon in west Africa.
"We can create something special here at these finals," said the Chelsea striker. "On paper Argentina are the strongest team in this group but that will count for nothing out on the pitch. I have always had belief in myself but sometimes I struggled to find it. Jose has helped me to do that and now we believe we can do really well here. There are only seven games to win and, though each will be tough, if you do that you return home with the World Cup."
It is a bold outlook, though the Ivory Coast have the quality to upset both Argentina and the Dutch in Group C. "There is no denying the talent in this squad," said the coach Henri Michel.
"It will be an emotional day, our first game in the tournament, but this is a dream for all my players. Argentina have a massive number of players at their disposal and are competitive by their very nature. But we have a talented and united squad. There can be no favourites in this group."
