OGC Nice striker Elye Wahi is tipped to start for Ivory Coast against Gambia on Thursday 12 November in Bouaké, in the CAN 2027 qualifiers.
Elye Wahi is tipped to lead the line for the Elephants against Gambia on Thursday 12 November at 19:00 GMT at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, according to the probable line-up published by Africa Top Sports. The match counts towards the CAN 2027 qualifiers.
The information remains a projection: neither the starting eleven nor the tactical shape announced by the outlet is official. The context nonetheless gives this possible start added weight, between the player’s eye-catching debut with OGC Nice and a modest record at Frankfurt before his loan.
An attacking trio announced
According to Africa Top Sports, Wahi would line up alongside Amad Diallo and Yan Diomandé to drive the Ivorian attack. The same outlet reports the Elephants in a 4-3-3, with Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré and Malick Yalcouyé in midfield.
These elements come from the probable line-up and not from a decision confirmed by the staff. No statement from head coach Hervé Renard on the matter is available at this stage.
Two teams on six points
According to Sport News Africa, Ivory Coast and Gambia have six points after two matchdays, and the Elephants have not yet conceded a goal. Renard’s men beat Ghana and Somalia by the same 2-0 scoreline.
Thursday’s meeting therefore looks like a duel for first place in Group C. The reverse fixture is scheduled for 17 November, in Gambia, as part of the same qualifiers.
Wahi’s Nice rebound
According to Hessenschau, Wahi scored eight minutes after coming on in his first match for Nice, in a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg. The contrast is stark with his spell at Eintracht Frankfurt: he scored just one goal in 25 matches there before his loan, the same outlet reports.
Nice have no option to buy on the striker, who must, according to the same outlet, rediscover his best form.