AFCON 2015: Hervé Renard Names Final Ivory Coast Squad
Ivory Coast head coach Hervé Renard has announced his final 23-man squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, with preparations set to begin in early January ahead of the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
The list, unveiled on Monday in Abidjan, features a mix of seasoned internationals and exciting young prospects. As expected, Ivorian legend Didier Drogba is not among the names, having confirmed his retirement from international football during a recent meeting with Renard in London. Fellow veteran Didier Zokora is also absent.
Veteran defender Kolo Touré returns and will play a key leadership role alongside his younger brother, Manchester City midfielder and team captain Yaya Touré. The squad also includes several debutants, including domestic league standout Roger Assalé—soon to join TP Mazembe—Junior Tallo, and emerging talents like Wilfried Kanon and Eric Bailly.
The Elephants will begin their pre-tournament training camp on 5 January in Dubai, where they are scheduled to play two high-profile friendly matches against Ghana and Nigeria.
Ivory Coast has been drawn into Group D, one of the tournament’s toughest, alongside Cameroon, Mali, and Guinea.
Ivory Coast Squad for AFCON 2015
Goalkeepers:
Sylvain Gbohouo (Séwé San Pedro, Ivory Coast)
Sayouba Mandé (Stabæk, Norway)
Boubacar Barry “Copa” (Lokeren, Belgium)
Defenders:
Serge Aurier (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Siaka Tiéné (Montpellier, France)
Ousmane Viera (Çaykur Rizespor, Turkey)
Kolo Touré (Liverpool, England)
Wilfried Kanon (ADO Den Haag, Netherlands)
Eric Bailly (Espanyol, Spain)
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Toulouse, France)
Midfielders:
Ismaël Diomandé (Saint-Étienne, France)
Yaya Touré (Manchester City, England)
Serey Dié (FC Basel, Switzerland)
Cheick Doukouré (Metz, France)
Cheick Tioté (Newcastle United, England)
Max Gradel (Saint-Étienne, France)
Roger Assalé (Séwé San Pedro, Ivory Coast)
Forwards:
Gervinho (AS Roma, Italy)
Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin, Germany)
Lacina Traoré (AS Monaco, France)
Junior Tallo (Bastia, France)
Wilfried Bony (Swansea City, England)
Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow, Russia)
With a formidable attack led by the likes of Gervinho, Bony, and Kalou, and a midfield marshalled by Yaya Touré, Ivory Coast will be among the favourites to challenge for the continental crown. However, they will have to navigate a treacherous group to make it far.
The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations will run from 17 January to 8 February.
