Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae has named his final squad for the upcoming back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Zambia and Chad.
The reigning African champions will start their defence of the title with a home match against the Chipolopolo Boys in Bouake on September 6.
The Elephants will then take on Chad on September 10 in Morocco.
In naming the squad on Monday, Fae maintained the core of the team, with key players such as Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, and Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller making the squad.
Other notable names in the squad are Brighton’s attacker Simon Adingra and Michael Jean Seri from Saudi Arabian side Al Orubah Football Club.
Two notable returnees to the squad are Amad Diallo, whom Fae recently met on a working visit to the United Kingdom (UK) and has started strongly at Manchester United this season, as well as Ibrahim Sangare, who looks set to play a bigger role at Nottingham Forest this season.
However, Fae has also handed the first call-ups for Right to Dream product Mario Dorgeles and ASEC Mimosas product Benie Traore from the Under-23s.
Traore has captained the junior side and is already settling in strongly at his new club, FC Basel. budding Strasbourg defender Abakar Sylla has also earned his first callup since October 2023.
The duo of Ghislain Konan and Jeremie Boga are not fit, while Seko Fofana, Wilfried Zaha, and Nicolas Pepe are other big name absentees.
“We know that playing against a team like Zambia, which is going to come to quickly wanting to also qualify for the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON),” Fae said. “We wanted to welcome them in a stadium that had a lot of importance and a lot of emotion for us.”
Ivory Coast’s last meeting with the Chipolopolo in the Africa Cup qualifiers ended in a 3-0 defeat at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Angers), Mohamed Kone (Sporting Charleroi, Belgium), Badra Ali Sangare (Sekhukhune United)
Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Stade Reims), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting Lisbon), Guela Doue (Racing Strasbourg). Odilon Kossonou (Bayer Leverkusen), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma), Christopher Operi (Le Havre), Wilfried Singo (Monaco), Abakar Sylla (Racing Strasbourg),
Midfielders: Mohamed Diomande (Rangers), Mario Dorgeles (Nordsjaelland). Franck Kessie (Al Ahli Jeddah), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Jean Michael Seri (Al Orubah)
Forwards: Simon Adingra (Brighton & Hove Albion), Oumar Diakite (Stade Reims). Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund). Christian Kouame (Fiorentina), Emmanuel Lath (Middlesbrough), Benie Traore (FC Basle).
