Panathinaikos goalkeeper Alban Lafont has switched allegiance to represent Ivory Coast at the international level over France.
Despite representing France at the youth stage, the 26-year-old shot-stopper, who is on loan at Nantes from Greek giants Panathinaikos has finally committed to the West African giants.
Having switched allegiance, Lafont has been earned his first senior call-up for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying games against Burundi and Gabon.
Ivory Coast will play host to Burundi before their game against Gabon during the September international break.
Lafont previously represented France at youth level. He also received a call-up from national team manager Didier Deschamps in September 2022 when Hugo Lloris pulled out of the squad through injury.
The shot-stopper was eligible to play for the Ivory Coast as his grandmother’s mother was Ivorian. Burkina Faso, the country in which Lafont was born, also tried to convince the Nantes loanee to switch his national allegiance, but the Ivory Coast FA was more convincing.