Ivory Coast could be without one of their key players for the start of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Wilfried Zaha, selected for the qualifiers, suffered an injury during Crystal Palace’s Premier League clash against Chelsea on Saturday. The Ivorian winger had to leave the pitch early after a challenge from Kurt Zouma.
Speaking about the injury, Ivory Coast coach Ibrahima Kamara explained:
“I think he got stepped on, as sometimes happens, which is very painful… For now, he’s icing that part of his foot and I suppose we’ll have to wait and see if anything serious has happened to him.”
The timing is critical, as the Elephants are scheduled to face Niger on November 16 for their first qualifier, followed by a match against Ethiopia on November 19. Zaha’s fitness for these crucial games remains uncertain, and the coaching staff will have to monitor his recovery closely before finalizing the squad for both fixtures.
If Zaha is ruled out, Ivory Coast may need to rely on other attacking options to fill the void left by the Crystal Palace star.
