Guinea-Bissau have their first half-chance, Mama Balde trying the acrobatic from a left wing cross in front of goal. The striker doesn't connect.

Gabriel Zakuani
Former DR Congo international on BBC Three

There was too much room there for Fofana. He showed great feet and quality to get that space and finish.

The goalkeeper couldn't get there, but that's a present Guinea-Bissau have given Ivory Coast. It's a slightly nervous start from them, losing the ball in all areas. They need to calm the atmosphere down.

Jefferson Encada takes no chances as Ivory Coast try to thread passes together inside Guinea-Bissau's penalty area, thumping the ball behind.

Goalkeeper Ouparine Djoco punches the inswinging corner away well at his near post.

Gabriel Zakuani
Former DR Congo international on BBC Three

I'm expecting a very competitive tournament. There are so many strong sides.

Ivory Coast need to start well in order to set their stall out and show us what's to come in the tournament.

My tip world be Morocco because of their World Cup exploits. Then you look at Mohamed Salah and Egypt.

My dark horse this year is Guinea. They have scored a lot of goals but need to stop conceding. But Afcons seem to be a little bit cagey.

Guinea-Bissau launched the first Afcon meeting between these teams.

The host nation's coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, has donned a baseball cap. His Guinea-Bissau counterpart, Baciro Cande, is wearing a training top. Both were on their feet as the match kicked off, looking suitably focused.

We are under way...

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With the theatrical spectacle complete and an opening speech from Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe, the teams emerge from the tunnel.

A sea of (mostly) orange swathing the stadium.

The officials have the match ball in their possession. Banners and flags are being held aloft on the pitch as the players assemble with the mascots. The anthems ring out in stirring fashion.

This is some occasion. We're slightly late, but Afcon 2023 is about to begin...

A few minutes from kick-off, here's a reminder of the teams...

Ivory Coast XI: Yahia Fofana, Singo, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan, Ibrahim Sangare, Seko Fofana, Kessie, Bamba, Krasso, Boga.

Guinea-Bissau XI: Djoco, Encada, Sangante, Djalo, Cande, Cassama, Bikel, Semedo, Rodrigues, Balde, Mane.

Image source, Getty Images

Iconic striker Didier Drogba reached the final of Afcon with Ivory Coast in 2006 and 2012, losing on penalties on both occasions.

The Elephants won their second continental title without the former Chelsea star in 2015, but he isn't getting too over-confident about making it three titles next month.

"There's no such thing as a generous draw because all the teams deserve to be here and they're going to fight," Drogba, who scored 65 goals for the Elephants, told BBC Sport.

"Our main asset will be to focus on our game, our team, our strengths and try to progress. It's up to us to make the most of it, get behind our team and make sure the trophy stays at home."

Ian Williams
BBC Sport Africa at Alassane Ouattara Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

No surprise that ‘colourful’ would be an excellent way to describe the opening ceremony.

600 professional dancers and performers, 10,000m of cables, giant masks and fireworks that painted the arena in orange, green and white smoke to create an Ivorian flag that hung in the air before slowly floating away in an airless atmosphere .

We also had musical performances from local heroes Dadju and Tayc before the tournament anthem, Akwaba, featuring Yemi Alade – a song that we’re already becoming exceptionally familiar with here in Ivory Coast.

It all helped to whet the appetite of a 60,000-seater stadium that looks about two-thirds full.

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Ivory Coast are the second-most likely winners of Afcon 2023, according to Opta's artificial intelligence prediction model.

The stats experts say the hosts have a 12.1% chance of emerging triumphant - bettered only by holders Senegal, who they reckon are on 12.8%.

They've an 84.6% chance of making the round of 16, while it's 53.4% for the quarter-finals, 33.4% for the semi-finals and 19.9% for the final.

Morocco, who reached the 2022 Fifa World Cup semi-finals, are the other team given more than a 10% chance of lifting the trophy, on 11.1%.

In order after that, Opta say the likeliest champions are Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunisia and Ghana.

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Guinea-Bissau are yet to win a game in nine matches across the past three editions of Afcon, but they would almost certainly settle for a repeat this evening of the shock 1-1 draw they secured against hosts Gabon on opening night in 2017.

The country has a population of two million and a Fifa ranking of 103 - which is 54 below Ivory Coast - as they start a campaign in what coach Baciro Cande describes as "a group of death" and "very tough".

The Djurtus will also face Equatorial Guinea, who reached the quarter-finals last time out, and three-time champions Nigeria in Group A.

"The Ivorians play at a high level with players in the top leagues in Europe," assessed Cande. "It’s a big team from a big country.

"But we have a confident team playing in a fourth successive tournament and, because of the group, there is little pressure on us - so we can look forward to trying to get the best results we can."

Image source, Getty Images

Here's Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara arriving, and his counterpart at the Ivory Coast Football Federation, Idris Diallo, has praised the head of state and spoken about the years of hard work and investment involved in preparing for this tournament.

"We say 'welcome to our house'," Diallo told the BBC World Service's Newsday. "We want to host all the world. We want all the people to come here to have a great experience and to keep in the mind that this country is, after Afcon, their country. They have to come back.

"We are using Afcon as an opportunity to build the country. The pressure is very, very high. But when you have responsibility and everybody's waiting for something, you have to do the best you can do.

"It will be a Cup of Nations where all the people coming from outside the country have a great experience and keep a very good souvenir of our country - a souvenir of the kindness of people, the smile of our country. That is the most important thing for us."

On the pitch, victory tonight is "important" and will give Ivory Coast confidence, Diallo says. "We have a lot of respect for Guinea-Bissau, who are a very good team," he added.

"But we don't have any option: we have to win to make everybody happy in this country and to have a very nice opening ceremony."

Image source, Getty Images

Trabzonspor forward Nicolas Pepe, once of Arsenal, played 30 minutes of Ivory Coast's 5-1 win over Sierra Leone on Saturday and remains on the bench tonight following a knee issue.

Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller is out as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, as is Brighton & Hove Albion winger Simon Adingra following a hamstring problem.

Ivory Coast XI: Yahia Fofana, Singo, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan, Ibrahim Sangare, Seko Fofana, Kessie, Bamba, Krasso, Boga.

Subs: Badra Ali Sangare (GK), Seri, Kossounou, Konate, Boly, Diakite, Gradel, Aurier, Pepe, Kouame, Doumbia, Diallo.

Defender Nanu, of Turkish Super Lig side Samsunspor, had been a doubt for Guinea-Bissau's opener.

The former Porto right-back or winger starts on the bench, while Lyon's Mama Balde is in attack as his side plot an upset.

Guinea-Bissau XI: Djoco, Encada, Sangante, Djalo, Cande, Cassama, Bikel, Semedo, Rodrigues, Balde, Mane.

Subs: Jonas Mendes (GK), Dju, Houboulang Mendes, Fernando Gomes, Eucidalcio Gomes, Gano, Tchami, Carlos Gomes, Mane, Eulanio Gomes, Correia, Ie.

Image source, Getty Images

Ivory Coast enter the tournament on a six-match unbeaten run, following up a 9-0 hammering of the Seychelles with a 2-0 victory over The Gambia in 2026 World Cup qualifying in November.

The Elephants raced into a 3-0 lead after 38 minutes against Sierra Leone at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro last Saturday.

Ousmane Diomande, Franck Kessie and Jonathan Bamba's goals were added to by Jeremie Boga and Lazare Amani after the break before their opponents pulled a goal back to make the final score 5-1.

Guinea-Bissau had won four times on a run of five games without defeat before they faced Mali a week ago.

After their opponents scored twice early on, Lyon striker Mama Balde halved the deficit, only for Guinea-Bissau to fall 3-1 behind before Carlos Mane scored their second as part of an action-packed first half.

The second period was one to forget for The Djurtus (Wild Dogs), conceding three without reply to lose 6-2.

Image source, Getty Images

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Gianni Infantino has been enjoying the pre-match festivities.

Which team will be on song in front of the Fifa president tonight?

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Afcon's hosts or co-hosts have reached the knockout stage in all but one of the last 14 editions – the exception being Gabon in 2017.

It's been a while since a host country lifted the trophy, though. Egypt were the last team to do so, in 2006.

Image source, BBC Sport

As well as following our updates, you can watch this match on BBC Three as one of 10 games at this year's tournament which will be shown live on the BBC.

A total of nine of those matches will be live on BBC Three, with one on BBC Two. All of them will also be on BBC iPlayer & online.

The group-stage match between four-time champions Ghana and record seven-time winners Egypt will also be broadcast live on BBC Three and iPlayer on Thursday, along with two matches from the last 16.

Jermaine Jenas is leading presenting duties for both semi-finals and the final, and accompanying the former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder will be a line-up of African former players and expert pundits.

BBC Sport online will keep fans up to date with all of the action with digital highlights, live scores, reports, and major news stories on the BBC Sport website and app, as well as across the official social media platforms.

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Four-time finalists Ivory Coast won Afcon in 1992 and 2015, and Elephants coach Jean-Louis Gasset has urged his squad to make the most of home advantage.

"We feel the expectation every day but we just need to live with it," said the Frenchman, who was assistant to Laurent Blanc at Paris Saint-Germain and with France.

"My job is to transform the pressure into something positive, to make sure that gives the players strength and confidence.

"There are no small teams anymore. The aim is to get off to a good start but we need to make sure we respect the opposition."

Gasset will have to make do without Sebastien Haller because of an ankle problem, although the 70-year-old hopes the Borussia Dortmund striker will be available to play against Nigeria here on Thursday.