19th May, 2017
The new coach of Cote D’Ivoire’s Elephants, Marc Wilmots, on Friday named his first squad since getting the job in March.
The Elephants face the Netherlands in a friendly on June 4 and Guinea in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier five days later.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Hertha Berlin’s Salomon Kalou is included on the 27-man list as he continues with his international career.
Kalou had considered ending his international career after the defending champions crashed out of this year’s AFCON in Gabon.
He had said in January that the tournament would be his last Nations Cup but he was thinking of playing on with the Elephants until the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The former Belgium coach also included long-term absentee Seydou Doumbia on the list.
Three of the four former France youth internationals Wilmots persuaded to swap national allegiances and play for Cote D’Ivoire are also included in the squad.
These are Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Jeremie Boga and Maxwell Cornet and they could all make their debuts in June while the fourth one, Seko Fofana, misses out through injury.
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The games will be the first in charge for Wilmots since his appointment.
The Full Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohouo (TP Mazembe, DR Congo) Axel Kacou (Tours, France), Mandé Sayouba (Stabaek, Norway), Ali Badra Sangaré (AS Tanda, Ivory Coast), Abdoul Karim Cissé (SC Gagnoa, Ivory Coast)
Defenders: Serge Aurier (Paris St Germain, France), Mamadou Bagayoko (St Truiden, Belgium), Eric Bailly (Man Utd, England), Simon Deli (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)
Lamine Koné (Sunderland, England), Ismaël Traoré (Angers, France), Wilfried Kanon (ADO Hague, Netherlands), Adama Traoré (FC Bâsel, Switzerland), Joris Gnagnon (Rennes, France), Ghislain Konan (Guimaraes, Portugal)
Midfielders: Cheick Doukouré (Metz, France), Franck Kessié (Atalanta, Italy), Geoffroy Serey Dié (FC Basel, Switzerland), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Mainz, Germany), Jean Michaël Séri (Nice, France)
Attackers: Nicolas Pépé (Angers, France), Maxwell Cornet (Lyon, France), Giovanni Sio (Rennes, France), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace, England)
Jérémie Boga (Grenada/Spain), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Seydou Doumbia (FC Bâsel, Switzerland)