Brice Dja Djédjé and Cheick Tioté Absent from Ivory Coast Squad
Still absent from the Ivory Coast national team, Brice Dja Djédjé has not been included in Michel Dussuyer’s squad for the 2017 AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone. The former OM defender, who has refused selection since 2014, remains unreachable despite the coach’s efforts.
“As soon as I arrived in Ivory Coast, I said I would get in touch with him to find out more about his position regarding the national team,” Dussuyer explained on the Ivorian Federation’s website. “I tried every way I could to get in touch with him. But he didn’t respond to my phone messages or meet Laurent Spinozi, who lives in Marseille and whom I had mandated for this purpose. So I deduce that he is not interested,” said the French coach with some regret.
Cheick Tioté also failed to respond to a pre-summons, prompting further frustration. “We tried every way we could to contact him, but he gave no sign of life. I would have liked him to make his position clear,” Dussuyer added.
The Ivorian coach is moving forward without both players, focusing on those fully committed to the Elephants’ campaign.
