The Elephants will start their campaign at Philadelphia Stadium and will further face Germany, and Curacao in Group E of the group stage. Ivory Coast, who have qualified for the World Cup four times, will be seeking to go past the group stages.
The Ivorians have never advanced past the group stage. During their initial tournament runs, the country relied heavily on a renowned “Golden Generation” featuring international stars like Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré.
Returning to the global stage after an absence of 12 years, Ivory Coast qualified as the reigning 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions.
Ivory Coast not concerned
Speaking to FIFA.com ahead of the match, Fae admitted Ecuador will provide a stern challenge but his team will be ready to respond to every attack they pose.
“It will be a battle,” said the Ivorian coach. “But that area of the game doesn’t concern me. My team will have the answers for that.
“As soon as we're well-organised defensively, I like to give my players freedom,” Fae explained. “I like players who can create, who have imagination, who never do the same thing.
“Nowadays, with video footage everywhere, it's so easy for opponents to analyse us. We have to be unpredictable.”
Fae added: "We genuinely believe in our ability and believe we can go very far."
Guela Doue eyes strong start
Ivory Coast defender Guela Doue stressed the significance of making a strong start to the competition.
"Our first game will be very important. We know that starting well and winning the game will put us in the best possible position to go further in the tournament,” explained Doue.
“We feel very determined going into this game and we’ll leave no stone unturned in our preparations. We have players who are capable of unsettling the opposition in wide areas and scoring goals.”
Doue concluded: “We’re about to play on the biggest stage in world football, and we're not just here to make up the numbers; our aim is to go as far as possible.
“We're representing Côte d'Ivoire and we'll do all we can to make our country proud.”
Bazoumana Toure, who plays for Hoffenheim, said: “When the game gets underway, I’ll be very emotional and happy, I'll have goosebumps.
“Playing at the World Cup has genuinely been a huge dream of mine, as we've seen stars such as Gervinho and Didier Drogba grace this stage for our country before. And now it's our turn.”
On what kind of game Ivory Coast will anticipate from Ecuador, the forward said: “They're physical, but so are we.
“They are strong defensively, but we also have some very good players, going forward, who can make the difference at any moment.
“Everyone is at the top of their game and I think the Ecuadorians could well be surprised by the way we'll approach this game.”
After playing against Ecuador, the Elephants will return to action against Germany on June 20th before winding up group stage matches against Curacao on June 25th at Philadelphia Stadium.
