The Ivory Coast national team’s training camp began on Sunday 8 November in Abidjan with six players, including Patrick Zabi and Yaya Kader Fofana, ahead of the two matches against Gambia on 12 and 17 November, without Sébastien Haller or Simon Adingra.
The Elephants’ gathering for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers began on Sunday in Abidjan. Under the guidance of head coach Hervé Renard and his staff, six players answered the call from the opening day: Patrick Zabi, Yaya Kader Fofana, Mohamed Koné, Hassane Kamara, Martial Godo and Oumar Solet, according to Dailysports. The two matches against Gambia are scheduled for 12 and 17 November.
From the 25-man list unveiled by Hervé Renard, Yaya Kader Fofana, a midfielder at Stade de Reims, and Oumar Solet, of Udinese, are called up for the first time with the Elephants, as are Abdoul Ouattara (Ipswich) and Abdoulaye Kanté (Al-Ettifaq).
A core of six players in Abidjan
They are the first six players to have answered the call for the camp, which opened on Sunday 8 November in Abidjan. Patrick Zabi, Mohamed Koné, Hassane Kamara and Martial Godo complete a group that already includes Yaya Kader Fofana and Oumar Solet, two players discovering the national team.
For Yaya Kader Fofana, this presence in Abidjan marks the entry into a new environment, after a first-ever call-up. Oumar Solet, also called up for the first time, takes his first steps in the Ivory Coast squad alongside him.
Haller and Adingra absent, a host of injuries
The 25-man list selected by Hervé Renard to face Gambia includes neither Sébastien Haller, the striker, nor Simon Adingra, the winger loaned by Sunderland to Ajax. The head coach will also have to do without Wilfried Singo, Evann Guessand and Oumar Diakité, who are absent as well. On top of these withdrawals come the injuries of Guéla Doué, Odilon Kossounou and Ghislain Konan.
Adingra’s case stands out: the winger is going through a physically difficult spell and has made only a brief substitute appearance in the Eredivisie this season, according to footafrica.net.
Two wins each in Group C
Ivory Coast and Gambia have both been flawless in the first two matches of Group C, with two wins each, according to Dailysports. The two meetings on 12 and 17 November will therefore pit the Elephants against an opponent that has also won its first two matches, in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Stade de Reims attacking midfielder Martial Tia, injured in the ankle since his last camp with Mali, is not in line for a call-up with Ivory Coast. He will resume collective training with his club, according to L’Ardennais.