Colombia defender Cristian Zapata has warned his teammates to "stay focused" when they come up against Ivory Coast's prolific strikeforce.

The South American side got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 3-0 victory over Greece on Saturday afternoon, while the Elephants had to come from behind to eventually see off Japan.

"Sure, I have faced [him before]. [He is] fast and skilled," Zapata is quoted as saying by El Espectador when asked about the threat Gervinho possesses. "We have to stay focused, we are also fast and have our own qualities."

He added: "Drogba's a beast inside the area. You have to stay focused throughout the match and mark very closely. We are a humble squad that knows how to win and does not suffer from overconfidence, we go step-by-step. We are mentally prepared to take the fight."

Gervinho found the net in Ivory Coast's 2-1 victory against Japan.