Nicolas Pepe has withdrawn from the Cote d’Ivoire squad and will miss the Elephants’ friendly against Cameroon for family reasons.
The Villarreal winger was given permission to leave the camp by the Federation ivoirienne de football (FIF), which announced his departure in a statement issued 13 hours before kick-off.
Pepe, 31, rejoined his wife, who was about to give birth. His absence comes shortly before the match against Cameroon, scheduled for the night of Saturday into Sunday at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan.
The forward had started both of Cote d’Ivoire’s opening matches under Herve Renard 2.0. He has won 59 international caps and scored 14 goals for the Elephants.
Pepe played 86 minutes in the 2-0 victory over Ghana on 24 September in Bouake, before featuring for 65 minutes in the 0-2 win against Somalia on 29 September at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
His departure leaves Bazoumana Toure as the likely replacement on the right wing. The 20-year-old Newcastle player is Pepe’s natural deputy and also came on for him in the Elephants’ last two matches.
Toure marked his appearance from the bench against Somalia by scoring a goal.
Cote d’Ivoire are preparing for their third match since the start of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.