Ivory Coast might now be without some of their stars from the past, but the defending champions will fancy getting their Africa Cup of Nations 2017 campaign to the perfect start when they play Tonga on Monday.
The Elephants won only their second Afcon title, and their first since 1992, when they beat Ghana in the final two years ago and while that was the golden moment for a much-vaunted golden generation, the latest Ivory Coast side, without the Toure brothers Yaya or a long-retired Didier Drogba, will want to put their own stamp in history.
There are plenty of familiar names in this Ivory Coast lineup, with the likes of Eric Bailly of Manchester United, Serge Aurier of PSG and Franck Kessie, wanted by Chelsea and Everton, of Atalanta all looking to impress, while there will be plenty of eyes on Wilfried Zaha as well, playing his first tournament since deciding to switch his international allegiance from England to Cote d'Ivoire.
Zaha made a splendid start to life as an Ivory Coast player by picking up an assist and a goal in the two warm-up games prior to the start of Afcon 2017, but the real tests will come in the competitive games, with the Crystal Palace winger given the difficult job of filling in for the injured Gervinho.
"The absence of Gervinho weighs heavily on us," Ivory Coast manager Michel Dussuyer said. "The addition of Zaha is, therefore, a wonderful boost.
"His style is similar to that of Gervinho and we hope he can trouble opposing defences just as much."
There will also be a familiar face on the opposite side, with Emmanuel Adebayor looking to impress in the Africa Cup of Nations as he continues to look for a new club.
Since being released by Crystal Palace last June, Adebayor is yet to find a new club and while the striker has insisted his main priority is to do well for his country, there is little doubt that the former Arsenal and Tottenham man will be aware of what a strong showing in the Afcon can do for his fading career.
When to Watch Live
Ivory Coast vs Togo is scheduled for a 9.30pm IST (4pm GMT, 11am ET) start.
Live Streaming and TV information:
India: TV: No live coverage.
Africa: TV: SuperSport4. Live Streaming: SuperSport live video.
UK: TV: EuroSport. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player.
Australia, Canada and USA: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
