IVORY COAST RECALLS WILFRIED ZAHA

In a move to strengthen their squad, the defending champions Ivory Coast have given a call back to the 33-year-old ex-Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha to participate in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The player Zaha, who currently is under contract with the Major League Soccer team Charlotte, has been added to the 26-member team which would be competing against Mozambique, Cameroon and Gabon in Group F.
He was not in the Elephants' team last year when the host nations Ivory Coast barely managed to make it to the knockout stage, then went on to conquer Nigeria 2-1 in the final in Abidjan.

"We require players with experience. In the case of Zaha, besides his ability to take on defenders, his current form also worked in his favour," coach Emerse Faé said while revealing the squad on Ivorian television.

Zaha, who had just a total of four matches in two years with Manchester United before going back to Palace first on loan and then permanently, was capped twice by England and then he decided to switch international allegiance.
The midfielder Jean-Michael Seri who is based in Slovenia has been brought back into the fold after a long injury that has kept him away from the Ivorian team since October last year.

Amad Diallo, the Manchester United winger, is among the four Premier League players who have been called for the title defence. The Aston Villa striker Evann Guessand is one of the two standby players.
Simon Adingra, the Sunderland winger who was part of the AFCON-winning squad in 2024, and the Spanish-based former Arsenal striker Nicolas Pepe are among the players not included in the final list.

"Simon is having a hard time getting a starting position at Sunderland and we will have to manage without his qualities," Faé said.

Ivory Coast aims for a fourth AFCON title having claimed the major African football tournament in 1992 and 2015, both after long penalty shootouts with Ghana, and 2024.

Full Squad Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Caykur Rizespor/TUR), Mohamed Kone (Charleroi/BEL), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos/GRE)
Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting/POR), Guela Doue (Strasbourg/FRA), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente/POR), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta/ITA), Evan Ndicka (Roma/ITA), Christopher Operi (Istanbul Basaksehir/TUR), Armel Zohouri (Iberia 1999/GEO)

Midfielders: Seko Fofana (Rennes/FRA), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Metz/FRA), Christ Inao Oulai (Trabzonspor/TUR), Franck Kessie (Al Ahli/KSA), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Jean-Michael Seri (Maribor/SLO)

Forwards: Vakoun Bayo (Udinese/ITA), Oumar Diakite (Cercle Brugge/BEL), Amad Diallo (Manchester Utd/ENG), Yan Diomande (Leipzig/GER), Sebastien Haller (Utrecht/NED), Jean-Philippe Krasso (Paris FC/FRA), Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim/GER), Wilfried Zaha (Charlotte/USA)

Standby: Evann Guessand (Aston Villa/ENG), Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi/BEL)