Zambia coach Herve Renard says he knows the importance of getting their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations campaign off to the right start when they face Ethiopia in their Group C opener.
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The defending champions are busy preparing for the South Africa showpiece and continue their warm-up against Morocco in a friendly international on Tuesday evening, followed by matches against Norway and Namibia in the days leading up to the January 19 kick-off.
The Copper Bullets will begin their title defence on Monday, 21 January at the Mbombela Stadium, and Renard feels a win over the Antelopes is pivotal if they hope to head into the quarter-finals as group winners.
"The first game against Ethiopia is very important -- it is crucial to start the tournament well," Renard told reporters. "Our aim is to finish first in the group."
Chipolopolo will also come up against heavy-hitters Nigeria in Group C, which also contains Burkina Faso, but Renard is confident his side have what it takes to repeat history.
"There is no pressure on us because no one outside Zambia expects us to win the competition again. People do not want to take risks with their predictions," he said.
"If we do not retain the title it simply means another team was better than us, but it will be very difficult to beat this team in South Africa, which is like a second 'home' for us."
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