Ivory Coast gaffer Ibrahim Camara has dropped on-form Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, Parma’s new signing Gervinho and ex-Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure for the African Nations Qualifier against Rwanda.
The ex-Ivory Coast international Camara has opted to use players who have been playing active first-team football in the place of internationals who have been on the sidelines in the new season.
The Coach refused to comment on the omissions but a highly-placed source in the Ivory Coast team confirmed the 25-year-old winger was dropped because of private reasons.
“Wilfried Zaha has been ignored for private causes, I am unable to say greater than that.” The source told BBC African Sports.
The other notable absentees include Montpellier forward Giovanni Sio, injured Swansea striker Wilfried Bony, Girona’s new signing Seydou Doumbia and veteran Salomon Kalou who recently announced his retirement.
They will, however, benefit from the availability of Manchester United’s Eric Bailly, Fulham’s Jean Michaël Seri AC Milan’s Frank Kessie and Tottenham defender Serge Aurier who could prove pivotal up against the Rwandese.
Aston Villa’s striker Jonathan Kodjia who was ruled out of action since last October with an injury will hope to inspire the team on his return.
Ivory Coast are third in Group H after losing the first fixture (2-3) to Guinea and will have to win their game against Rwanda to be in contention for an AFCON 2019 spot.
In the other group fixture, table leaders Guinea will take on the second-placed Central African Republic on 7th September 2018.
The Full Ivory Coast 23-man squad:
Goalkeepers:
Sayouba Mandé (Odense BK, Denmark), Sylvain Gbohouo (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Badra Ali Sangare (Free State, South Africa)
Defenders:
Eric Bailly (Manchester United, England), Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Mamadou Bagayoko (KV Mechelen, Belgium), Ghislain Konan (Reims, France), Adama Traore (Göztepe, Turkey), Lamine Kone (Strasbourg, France), Kouadio-Yves Dabila (Lille, France), Wilfried Kanon (Ado Den Haag, Holland)
Midfielders:
Jean Michaël Seri (Fulham, England), Cheick Doukouré (Levante, Spain), Jean-Eudes Aholou (Monaco, France), Serey Dié (Basel, Switzerland), Franck Kessié (AC Milan, Italy), Serge N’Guessan (Nancy, France)
Forwards:
Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa, England), Roger Assalé (Young Boys, Switzerland), Max-Alain Gradel (Toulouse, France), Nicolas Pépé (Lille, France), Vakoun Issouf Bayo (Dunajská Streda, Slovakia), Maxwell Cornet (Lyon, France)
Featured photo: Getty Images
