World Cup
African champions Cote d’Ivoire unleash new blood for World Cup qualifiers
Cote d’Ivoire coach Emerse Faé has overhauled his squad for next month’s crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Gabon and Kenya, handing call-ups to five new faces including a trio of players from Ligue 1.
The Elephants, who top Group F alongside Gabon on six points, host the Panthers in Korhogo on 7 June before an away trip to Nairobi to take on the Harambee Stars four days later.
With qualification for the finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico well-poised, Faé has taken the opportunity to inject fresh blood into his ranks following the side’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations triumph in February.
Nice striker Evann Guessand, Le Havre left-back Christopher Operi and Lorient frontman Mohamed Bamba have all earned their first senior call-ups as part of Faé’s revamp.
Guessand and Bamba both featured for France at youth level, while Bamba’s former Elephants Under-23 teammate Mohamed Diomande of Rangers is another new addition after opting to represent Cote d’Ivoire over Ghana.
Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath completes the influx of new faces as Faé looks to build for the future while keeping one eye on this year’s qualifiers.
While the quintet of uncapped players grabbed the headlines, there were also recalls for the likes of Rennes midfielder Guela Doue, who scored a crucial goal against Uruguay in March.
However, several big names from February’s AFCON triumph have missed out, including captain Serge Aurier and fellow defender Eric Bailly due to a lack of game time at club level.
They are joined by Ibrahim Sangare, Karim Konate, Christian Kouame and Jean Krasso in being omitted, while there is no place in the 26-man squad for Wilfried Zaha despite Faé holding talks with the Galatasaray winger about a potential return.
Star names such as Franck Kessie, Sebastien Haller, Evan N’Dicka, Seko Fofana and Yahi Fofana have all been retained as the spine of Faé’s squad for the crucial double-header.
The Elephants currently top Group F but know maximum points against Gabon and Kenya could prove crucial in their bid to secure one of the section’s prized spots in North America in two years’ time.
Full squad
Goalkeepers : Yahia Fofana (Angers), Badra Ali (Sekhukhune), Mohamed Koné (Dunkirk)
Defenders : Willy Boly (Nottingham), Christopher Operi (Havre), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Odilon Kossounou (Leverkusen), Evan Ndicka (Roma), Ghislain Konan (Al-Fayha), Guela Doue (Rennes), Wilfried Singo (Monaco ), Emmanuel Agbadou (Reims)
Midfielders : Mohamed Diomande (Rangers), Franck Kessie (Al-Ahli), Jean Michael Seri (Hull), Seko Fofana (Al Ettifaq), Lazare Amani (Union SG), Habib Traore (Napoli)
Forwards : Mohamed Bamba (Lorient), Sebastien Haller (Dortmund), Evan Guessand (Nice), Oumar Diakite (Reims), Jeremie Boga (Nice), Nicolas Pepe (Trabzonspor), Simon Adingra (Brighton), Emmanuel Latte Lath (Middlesbrough)
-CAF
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
All is not well at the moment with the Nigeria’s Super Eagles who have gone seven World Cup qualifying matches since November 2021 without a win.
The dwindled fortunes contrast sharply for a team noted before now as the African sides with the longest unbeaten streak in the World Cup qualifiers. At time, they were unbeaten since losing through a late goal to Angola in Luanda on 20 June 2004 till 10 November 2017 when their 1-1 draw with Algeria was converted to a 3-0 forfeiture owing to NFF featuring an unqualified player. At the time, Super Eagles had raked 35 unbeaten run. At another time from 2012 to 2013, the team had an unbeaten run of 18 matches from 3 June 2012 when they beat Namibia 1-0 in Calabar to 21 June 2013 when they were beaten 2-1 by Uruguay in a FIFA Confederations match in Brazil.
Yet the same outfit has turned laborious after losing its flairs. A source close to Finidi George told Sports Village Square that the coach complained that the NFF just heaped all the blames of the team’s current precarious situation on him while exonerating the players.
He also reportedly remarked that the NFF did nothing to mobilise crowd support for the Super Eagles in the back-breaking encounter with Benin Republic in Abidjan despite the presence of large Nigerian community in the Ivorian commercial capital city.
A Benin Republic sports journalist confirmed this to Sports Village Square. The journalist remarked that it was true that there “were not many Nigerians at the Félix Houphouet Boigny stadium even though Nigeria has a strong community in the Ivory Coast. I see that the defeat against the Republic of Benin really hurts.”
Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, the President General of the Nigeria Football and other Sports Supporters’ Club (NFSP) had earlier made the same assertion on the neglect of crowd mobilisation for the Super Eagles and that those who made it to Uyo and had auto accident on their way back were not even given a mention by the NFF.
He had since 1991 established the first of the international cells of the supporters club. They were not mobilised for the game against Benin Republic.
On players attitude, a member of the NFF confirmed that the Super Eagles camp in Uyo was loose as players went to camp with their girl friends.
That could also explain their dismal forms in the back-to-back destiny shaping encounters with South Africa and Benin Republic.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigeria Super Eagles’ coach, Finidi George has resigned from his post as Super Eagles’ coach, two days after the Nigeria Football Federation announced it was going to employ a foreign technical adviser.
A source close to Finidi told Sports Village Square that Finidi sent his resignation letter to Ibrahim Gusau “3o minutes ago.”
Finidi was said to be livid that the NFF leadership met with the sports minister two days ago, but failed to mention that players reported late to the camp and that they didi nothing to mobilise Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire to come out to support the Super Eagles in last Monday’s match with Benin Republic.
“He complained that the NFF heaped all the blames on him”, said the source.
Calls to NFF officials to verify the information were not answered.
Under fire Super Eagles’ coach, Finidi George may excape sack afterall. A source close to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) told Sports Village Square that Finidi may not be sacked.
He would however work under the foreign technical adviser that the football governing body is planning to hire in the next few weeks.
The source who was privy to the Wednesday’s ‘hybrid mode’ meeting of the NFF informed that Finidi George will be designated as ‘Chief Coach’ while the expatriate will be the technical adviser.
It is however unclear how the NFF will foot the wage bill of the technical adviser, who may also come with his personal crew as Finidi George also already have his own foreign assistants.
There is also no word on the loud absence of Daniel Amokachi who was designated as Finidi George’s assistant, but failed to show up at the Super Eagles’ camp leading to the ill-fated World Cup match day 3 and 4 encounters with South Africa and Benin Republic.
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