Co-hosts Gabon open their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Group C campaign against surprise qualifiers Niger at the Stade d'Angondjé in Libreville on Monday (kick-off 16h00 GMT).

Gabon go into the game with spirits high, they will believe that they have an excellent chance to make an impression on this tournament and they have what should be a gentle opening game against the Nigeriens.

The country is still basking in the delight of their Under-23 side's surprise qualification for the 2012 London Olympics and a number of those players have been included in German coach Gernot Rohr's squad for the Nations Cup.

The problem for Rohr is that this is his team's first competitive international in almost two years, since they were eliminated from the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola.

With no World Cup qualifiers and entering this Nations Cup as hosts, Gabon have had to scratch around for opponents on the friendly circuit.

While that is certainly useful preparation, there is nothing like the real thing and they may feel a little "under-cooked".

And while many are predicting a home win for the Gabonese, Rohr says they will be showing their opponents more respect.

"Beware of predictions! We don't think Niger will be the easiest match, in fact it could well turn out to be the most difficult. We're approaching it with a little bit of apprehension," he told AFP.

"But we're well prepared, solid both on the pitch and mentally, there is a slight lack of confidence but we are all motivated and want to exploit all the chances we have."

Star striker Daniel Cousin says local pressure to win the competition is there, but that the players are taking it one game at a time and seeing how far they get.

"Can we win the Cup? That's hard, but we'll go out and do our job. We've got a good mix of experienced players and youngsters who add power to the side," Cousin says.

"We started well in Angola [in 2010] and we have to do the same here. If we beat Niger and win our second match who knows what can happen?"

Niger won a difficult qualifying group that also included South Africa, Sierra Leone and defending champions Egypt.

Their strength was their home form, three wins from three, but they also managed to lose all three of their away games fairly convincingly.

There is no doubt they are a tough nut to crack in Niamey, but without the vociferous home support and the bumpy pitch, they lack the skills to match the better teams.

Getting a point in this Group C, which also includes Cote d'Ivoire and Sudan, will be the first aim, anything over that will be a massive bonus.