Tournament host and group A opponent of the Super Eagles, Cote D'Ivoire has made known its final squad for the upcoming African Cup of Nations, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The squad list of 27 was released on Thursday by Coach Jean-Louis Gasset which has notable names like Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller, Monaco defender Wilfried Singo also had some absentees.
Galatasary forward Wilfried Zaha who moved from Crystal Palace in the summer was missing in the list despite playing a couple of friendlies for the West African country.
Former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly who currently plays for Besiktas defender was also a notable absentee in the list.
Also in the list are Nottingham Forest's Serge Aurier, Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly plus Al-Ahli midfielder Franck Kessie and Trapzonspor winger Nicolas Pepe, who returns after a year's absence
Hajduk Split's Ismael Diallo got a first call-up, while Union Saint Gilloise's Lazare Imani makes his second squad.
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Angers/FRA), Charles Folly (Asec Mimosas), Badra Ali (Sekhukhune United/RSA)
Defenders: Serge Aurier (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Ismael Diallo (Hajduk Split,/CRO), Ousmane Diomandé (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Ghislain Konan (Al-Feiha/KSA), Evans N’dicka (Roma/ITA), Odilon Kossonou Wilfried Singo (Monaco/FRA)
Midfielders: Jean-Thierry Amani Lazare (Union Saint-Gilloise/BEL), Idrissa Doumbia (Alanyaspor/TUR), Seko Fofana (Al Nassr/KSA), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Franck Kessié (Al-Ahli/KSA), Jean-Michael Seri (Hull/ENG).
Forwards:: Simon Adingra (Brighton/ENG), Jonathan Bamba (Celta Vigo/ESP), Jérémie Boga (Nice/FRA), Sébastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Karim Konaté (RB Salzburg/AUT), Christian Kouamé (Fiorentina/ITA), Jean-Philippe Krasso (Red Star Belgrade/SRB), Max-Alain Gradel (Gaziantep/TUR), Oumar Diakité (Reims/FRA), Nicolas Pépé (Trabzonspor/TUR).
The Ivory Coast are drawn in Group A alongside Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, and Equatorial Guinea and will play their first match against Guinea-Bissau on the 13th of January, 2024.
Uche Dozie