Senegal will start their campaign against the Netherlands on November 21 in Group A before facing hosts Qatar and Ecuador.
"We've remained focused on the most important things. We're getting closer to achieving our goal with every competition, and the most recent has given us every reason to believe that. Hard work always pays off," Cisse said in an interview with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
"Our first objective is to get out of this group. After that, we'll be in a knockout tournament, and we have enough experience to leave our mark on this competition," he said.
Cisse added that Senegal did not feel greater pressure due to being AFCON champions but were aware of it.
The 46-year-old seasoned coach is among the longest-serving national team coaches in African football, having taken over in 2015 and led his country to the Cup of Nations and the last World Cup in Russia.
"I'm very happy with the [team] level of application and their mentality. It's this love, this hard work and their professional side that have allowed us to succeed. It's through this solidarity that we will be able to win," Cisse said.
