Sabri Lamouchi's men welcome Senegal to Abidjan for the first leg of their World Cup play-off knowing a win would put them in pole position to qualify for the finals in Brazil next year.
The hosts head into the game in poor form, though, having won just two of their last six games.
Midfielder Yaya Toure is Ivory Coast's top scorer in qualifying so far with four goals and the Manchester City star will be looked upon to play a pivotal role.
The disappointing club performances of Cisse may be a concern to manager Alain Giresse, who was only appointed in January shortly after Senegal's failure to reach the African Cup of Nations finals.
Still, Giresse has strength in depth in his ranks, with Fenerbahce's Moussa Sow and Bordeaux's Henri Saivet both available to boost the forward line as Senegal look to reach the finals for the first time since 2002.
