Oumar Solet, the Udinese centre-back, and Yaya Fofana, the Stade de Reims midfielder, have been called up to the Ivory Coast national team for the first time by Hervé Renard, for the two matches against Gambia.
Hervé Renard has included two newcomers in his squad for the CAN 2027 qualifiers. According to Sport.fr, the Ivory Coast head coach has called up for the first time Oumar Solet, the 26-year-old centre-back who plays for Udinese, along with Yaya Fofana, the Stade de Reims No 8, who has already been through the Ivory Coast U23s according to Dongqiudi.
They feature in an expanded squad that also includes Luck Zogbé, Patrick Zabi, Elye Wahi and Martial Godo, according to Sport.fr. The date is set: the Elephants face Gambia on 12 and 17 November in the CAN 2027 qualifiers.
Solet, from French youth teams to the Central African Republic
At 26, Oumar Solet arrives in the Elephants set-up with an already rich youth career behind him. Sport.fr recalls that the defender came through the French youth teams and could also have represented the Central African Republic. His call-up by Renard is his first appearance in the Ivory Coast squad.
The reports do not say whether this choice is final: it is first and foremost a call-up for the November camp, which features two matches against Gambia.
Fofana, a September to remember
According to Dongqiudi, the Reims midfielder has just been voted Ligue 2 BKT player of the month for September, with 8 goals and 2 assists, and a hand in almost 50% of his team’s league goals.
The same source states that he is the most decisive Ivory Coast player across Europe’s five major leagues and their second divisions since the start of the season. These statistics, which rest on that single criterion, should be treated with caution. Fofana himself had never yet been called up to the senior team, having previously played for the Ivory Coast U23s.
For Reims, the schedule comes thick and fast: the Champagne club travel to Grenoble in Ligue 2 on 7 November, before their midfielder joins up with the Elephants.
Gambia, then the CAF Awards in sight
The double header against Gambia on 12 and 17 November is the framework for this camp, in the CAN 2027 qualifiers. Hervé Renard has brought in newcomers, including Oumar Solet and Yaya Fofana.
According to Dongqiudi, the Inter forward Bonny also features in Renard’s squad, a piece of information not confirmed by the other sources in the file.
Meanwhile, Ivory Coast are nominated in the best national team on the continent category at the 2026 CAF Awards, reports Fraternité Matin.