Despite being one of the most established African nations within world football, the Ivory Coast have only won the Africa Cup of Nations on one occasion.
The Elephants qualified for the tournament with ease, winning all six of their matches and scoring 19 goals in the process.
Francois Zahoui's side are one of the favourites to win the competition, but have failed to live up to expectations in previous competitions.
Group: B
Players to watch out for:
Didier Drogba
The Chelsea striker has 50 international goals to his name and is among the favourites to claim the tournament's golden boot. At the age of 33, Drogba is about to take part in his fourth and possibly last African Cup of Nations.
Yaya Toure
The younger Toure brother proved his worth for the Elephants during qualification with a number of goals from midfield. The Manchester City player has over 50 caps on the international stage, plus experience at World Cup and Champions League level.
Previous best: Winners 1992
Odds to win outright: 13/8
Sports Mole says: Winners
Liam Apicella
