On Thursday evening, Jean-Louis Gasset, the coach of the Ivory Coast national team, revealed the preliminary 27-man squad in preparation for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, which the Ivory Coast will host from January 13. The squad, consisting of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders, and 10 attackers, is geared up to compete in the tournament held across five Ivorian cities. Notable exclusions from the English-based players include Nottingham Forest trio Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangare, and Serge Aurier.
Other omissions feature Brighton and Hove Albion striker Simon Adingra and Hull City’s Jean Michael Seri. A conspicuous absence is former Manchester United and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, who has made only two appearances for the national team since the beginning of the year.
The Ivory Coast is set to kick off their campaign against Guinea-Bissau on January 13, followed by matches against rivals Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in Group A. As part of their preparations, Coach Gasset will lead the team in a friendly against Sierra Leone on January 6 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro.
With a diverse pool of talent to choose from, Coach Gasset aims for his Elephants to deliver outstanding performances on home turf next month, positioning them as strong contenders for the AFCON trophy.
The complete squad comprises:
GOALKEEPERS:
1. Yahia Fofana (SCO Angers)
2. Badra Ali (Sekhukhune Utd)
3. Ayayi Folly (ASEC Mimos)
DEFENDERS:
1. Willy Boly (Nottingham)
2. Chester Diallo (Hadjuk)
3. Ousmande Diomande (Sporting)
4. Odilon Kossounou (Leverkusen)
5. Evan Ndicka (Roma)
6. Ghislain Konan (Al-Fayha)
7. Serge Aurier (Nottingham)
8. Wilfried Singo (Monaco)
MIDFIELDERS:
1. Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham)
2. Doumbia Idrissa (Ah Ahli)
3. Franck Kessie (Al-Ahli)
4. Jean Michael Seri (Hull)
5. Seko Fofana (Al Nassr)
6. Lazare Amani (Union SG)
FORWARDS:
1. Sebastien Haller (Dortmund)
2. Karim Konate (Salzburg)
3. Jean-Philippe Krasso (Etoile Rouge)
4. Max-Alain Gradel (Gaziantep)
5. Christian Kouame (Fiorentina)
6. Jonathan Bamba (Celta Vigo)
7. Oumar Diakite (Reims)
8. Jeremie Boga (OGC Nice)
9. Nicolas Pepe (Trabzonspor)
10. Simon Adingra (Brighton)
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