The Elephants of Côte D’Ivoire are primed to make an impact at AFCON 2024 as they host the tournament for only the second time in the competition’s history. They hosted all the way back in 1984 but succumbed to a group stage exit.

They will be hoping for a much better go at it this time around. Coach Jean-Louis Gasset has named a formidable squad to that effect, although eyebrows were raised at the omission of former Manchester United and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.

They are reports of internal wranglings between Zaha and the coach but there has been no official confirmation in that regard. Brighton’s Simon Adingra has been included despite being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

SQUAD IN FULL:

Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana, Badra Ali Sangare, Charles Folly.

Defenders: Serge Aurier, Wilfried Singo, Evan N’dicka, Ousmane Diomande, Odilon Kossonou, Wily Boly, Ghislain Konan, Chester Diallo.

Midfielders: Idrissa Doumbia, Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Seko Fofana, Jean Michel Seri, J-T Lazare.

Attackers: Nicolas Pepe, Max Gradel, Simon Adingra, Karim Konaté, Sebastian Haller, Oumar Diakite, Jonathan Bamba, Jeremie Boga, Christian Kouame, J-P Krasso.

The Elephants are in action against Guinea Bissau on January 13th for the tournament’s opening game. They then host Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in Group A.