Sadio Mane believes Southampton are capable of achieving a top-four finish in the Premier League this season.
The Saints have enjoyed an impressive first few months of the 2014-15 campaign, with Ronald Koeman leading them to second place in the table after 11 matches.
But with a run of fixtures coming up that includes back-to-back games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United, many are expecting Southampton's form to suffer.
Mane, who joined the Saints from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer, is sure the club can maintain their position and qualify for the Champions League.
"I hope and I am confident that we can hold this pace and level of playing football," Mane told FIFA's official website.
"Obviously in the Premier League there are always the three, four or five big teams that can be found at the top of the table. But I am glad that so far there are some teams up there that could be called a little surprise, including us.
"However, we have to stay realistic. It will be hard to remain where we are today. We will give our best to defend this place, and I have no doubt we have the potential and will."
Mane was one of a number of new faces to arrive at Southampton in the summer, along with Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic, with the club needing to replace departing stars such as Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren.
And the 22-year-old, who has scored once for the south coast club this season, said he was delighted to make the move to St Mary's.
"I always dreamed of playing in the Premier League and I had a very good feeling about Southampton from the first contact," he added.
"The entire philosophy, the smart way they progressively improved the team with dedicated transfers, the entire club environment, and last but not least, the highly professional and experienced coach, Ronald Koeman -- that's why I chose Southampton as my next big challenge."