The Super Eagles face the Elephants at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday, Cote d’Ivoire having already secured their spot in the last-eight with a match to spare.

The perennial AFCON favourites lost out to Zambia in last year’s final, but unlike the ousted champions, Sabri Lamouchi’s team have looked a potent unit in 2013.

Mikel, who counts Ivory Coast duo Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou as former Chelsea team-mates, insists there will be no love-lost come the weekend’s crunch encounter.

“We hope to go past Cote d’Ivoire and make it to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations,” Mikel said in Rustenburg

“The coach demands 110 percent for us at all times and on Sunday against Cote d’Ivoire, we will give 110 percent.”

Emenike added: “We are not afraid of them. We respect them but why should we be afraid of them?

“This is football and no team is too big and we are very positive we will win on Sunday.”