Ivory Coast will come up against Norway in a World Cup Round of 32 encounter on Tuesday in what is expected to be a tough showdown.
Erling Haaland is perhaps the biggest threat the Ivorians are set to encounter, but according to Gervinho, the West Africans need not fear.
The Arsenal star argued that his counterparts are going into the game not as favourites, and this puts less pressure on their shoulders.
“I think the level of the competition is going up. It’s a knockout game. The advantage we have is that we’re not going into it as favourites, so that should allow my younger brothers to play more relaxed — not relaxed exactly, but with less pressure,” Gervinho told Stats Perform.
“What I would say is that they should enjoy themselves, because at this level, they’ve already done a good job. Going through would be a bonus, of course, and we hope they go very far in this competition. But they need to enjoy it and not put too much pressure on themselves. I think the pressure will be on Norway.”
Is Haaland a threat?
Should Ivory Coast have a specific plan to target Haaland? Gervinho replied when asked, “I would say no, I don’t think so.”
“They just need to be alert with him because he’s very skilful, he moves well, and he’s clinical. But aside from Haaland, I think there are quite a few quality players who are underestimated but very dangerous.
“But Ivory Coast’s real opponent will be Ivory Coast themselves. I think we also have good players up front. We have talent too. We have Ange-Yoan Bonny, Yan Diomande, Amad Diallo, and Nicolas Pepe.
“There are a lot of players who can also trouble the Norwegian defence. So if we’re efficient, if we create chances, if we play our football, I also think it’s not only Haaland who should worry us; Norway will also be worried about our level.”
The Manchester City star was an unused substitute in Norway’s 4-1 defeat to France.
Threat for Norway
From the Elephants’ side, Yan Diomande is set to cause them trouble, given how the winger has performed in the tournament so far.
The winger, who has reportedly attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, became only the second African player on record (from 1966) to complete 10+ dribbles (10) and create 10+ chances (10) in a single World Cup group stage, and Gervinho believes he is the man to watch.
“Looking at where he started and the different clubs he has been through, you can see that he’s progressing, and that’s a good thing,” Gervinho said.
“Right now, I would say he’s the one who can bring something extra, who can lead Ivory Coast’s attack. I’m not surprised that we’ve had a young player emerge to lead that attack, because we’ve always had players. I know we will always have players.
“We’re happy to have Yan with us. We hope he takes charge of this attack like a leader and helps this team progress. But it’s not only Yan. He’s a young player who is still growing, but he can rely on the experience of Nicolas Pepe and the others.”
The former Africa Cup of Nations champions hope to become the second African country to reach the Round of 16 after Morocco.
