It's All Systems Go For African Nations Championship

As the African Nations Championship (CHAN) kicks off in Algeria, managers have all encouraged their teams to give the best they have. Mali coach Diané Nouhoum is cautious that his side need to have the right mindset ahead of their opening game against Angola on Monday, 16 January at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran, Algeria.

Menwhile, Angola's head coach Pedro Gonçalves wants his side to approach the tournament with the belief that they can go all the way to the final on February 4. Angola reached the CHAN 2011 final losing 3-0 to eventual winners Tunisia in Sudan and even though it is more than a decade ago, Gonçalves has borrowed from that performance to motivate the current team.

Cameroon coach Alioum Saidou expects his side to approach every game as a final when they kickoff their campaign against Congo on thesame day. Saidou might have lost forward Marou Souaibou who recently joined South African giants Orlando Pirates but he has other great players that he can rely on for a tournament of this calibre to deliver success. The Intermediate Lions, who finished fourth at the last edition at home two years ago, are under pressure to match their performance back then or better it.

CHAN is a competition for players who ply their trade in the local league.

This story originally appeared on AllAfrica. Image via Sport News Africa.