To begin with, reigning Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Ivory Coast will aim to start strongly as they begin their title defence this year. In contrast, Mozambique will enter the match determined to chase an early upset in the tournament.
Meanwhile, the teams will meet on Wednesday at the Marrakech Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 17:30 GMT. In addition, the match will showcase several familiar names for Premier League fans.
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Former Crystal Palace forward Wilfred Zaha was called up to Ivory Coast's travelling squad to Morocco as he joined the national team for the first time in two years.
His impressive performances in Major League Soccer (MLS) with Charlotte FC earned him a spot with Ivory Coast in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest duo Ibrahim Sangaré and Willy Boly will feature alongside Manchester United star Amad Diallo.
Other notable names include ex-West Ham striker Sebastien Haller. The FC Utrecht centre-forward played a huge part in the Elephants' AFCON triumph in the previous edition.
Given their previous encounters, Ivory Coast will be the clear favourites heading into the clash. The champions are unbeaten against Mozambique in their previous seven meetings.
They managed five victories and two draws, as the record suggests a potential win for Ivory Coast on Wednesday.
However, it could also give Mozambique a chance to turn the tide and, in doing so, send an early statement in the competition
Despite that, Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie recently expressed his excitement to kick off AFCON and believes his side are ready.
"Feeling pressure? That’s normal," the Al-Ahli midfielder told CAF. "We are a team everyone wants to beat, and that inevitably brings extra pressure.
"But we took that into account from the start of our preparation. We know what it represents and we have worked to be ready to handle that responsibility.
"We worked on every aspect — technically, mentally and physically. The goal was to be ready not only on the pitch but also off it.
"In a competition like AFCON, mental management and team cohesion are just as important as tactical work," he added.
