Rabat, Morocco - Ahead of his team's opening group B match against favourite Egypt at the CAF Under-23 championship in Morocco on Sunday, Gabon coach Claude Moborono has said his team will play to win every game. Gabon, which will co-host the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with Equatorial Guinea, is considered an underdog against Egypt, which is one of the favourites to win the inaugural championship.

But Maborono told journalists here on Sunday that his team is motivated by the being lebelled as an underdog.

He said the team's preparations have gone very well, even though he disclosed that his players still needed some time to acclimatise.

The coach named Egypt and Morocco as the teams most favoured to win the championship.

Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire captain and goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone has said it will be tough for any team to beat the Elephants

Cote d'Ivoire is due to play its opening group B match against South Africa on Tuesday in Marakesh.

'We are ready for the championship and we will play to win,' he said in an interview with the official website of African soccer's governing body, CAF.

'Our manager told us that winning the first match is the key for qualifying for the semi finals. We want to do that and to reach the London 2012 Olympic Games,' he said.

Kone said all his team's opponents in the championship are strong and should not be underrated.

Asked which team Cote d'Ivoire fears most, the team captain replies: 'We fear no one. We are a big team with some good players and a high standard technical staff, who worked out well with our weakness points. We came to Morocco to qualify for the Olympics.'

Pana 27/11/2011