Cote d’Ivoire call-up confusion as Ismael Doukoure misses out and two replacements join squad

Ismael Doukoure will not join the Cote d’Ivoire squad after all, despite being widely expected to replace the injured Odilon Kossounou for the upcoming international break.

The Strasbourg player was reported by journalist Malick Traore as a possible addition to Herve Renard’s team after Kossounou suffered an injury with Atalanta. However, the rumoured call-up lasted only a few hours and Doukoure will not be involved in the Elephants’ matches against Ghana in Bouake on 24 September, Somalia in Abidjan on 29 September, and Cameroon in Abidjan on 3 October.

The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed that Junior Diaz has instead been selected to strengthen the defence.

Diaz, who is 23 – the same age as Doukoure – has played for Troyes for the past two years. He has made five appearances this season, starting all five games.

The 1.93m defender has been called up once before by Emerse Fae. He came on at half-time in Cote d’Ivoire’s 7-0 win against Seychelles on 10 October 2025.

Luck Zogbe has also been added to the squad to replace Guela Doue, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen and has suffered a calf injury.

The decision not to select Doukoure comes after Renard indicated last Wednesday that the player had been close to earning a place in the squad.

“Ismael Doukoure was not far from being in the list,” Renard said, adding that “it came down to very little”.

The manager explained that Doukoure had missed out because he was relying on the four central defenders who had been present at the World Cup and were currently performing well.

Kossounou’s withdrawal appeared to create an opportunity for Doukoure, who had been in contention for his first Cote d’Ivoire call-up. That would have come five years after he ended his involvement with France’s youth teams, from Under-19 level through to the Under-23s.

Instead, his international debut for the Elephants will have to wait. The latest change has created uncertainty around the situation, with further clarification still awaited.

Junior Diaz’s inclusion means the defensive vacancy has been filled, while Zogbe’s selection completes the replacement for Doue ahead of Cote d’Ivoire’s three fixtures.