EXCLUSIVE: Kouassi praises Korea and Scotland friendlies as perfect World Cup preparation for Ivory Coast

The African champions with three titles will compete in the global event for the fourth time and have landed in Group E with Germany, Ecuador, and newcomers Curacao.

Before the competition jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Emerse Fae’s squad will play against World Cup qualifiers in England.

Ivory Coast will meet Son Heung-min’s South Korea on March 28th in Milton Keynes, then face Steven Clarke’s Scottish team four days later in Liverpool.

For Kouassi, the value of these encounters extends past the scores, as they will acquaint the players with the demanding pace anticipated in the main tournament.

"It is good to see the Elephants playing these kinds of friendlies because they will help the players prepare for the level of intensity they are likely to face at the World Cup," Kouassi told Flashscore.com.

"Germany and Ecuador are strong opponents in our group, and these games will give us a clearer insight into what to expect from them. 

"For the coaches, it will provide a valuable opportunity to assess the squad and identify areas that still need improvement.

"It does not really matter whether Emerse and his boys win or lose against South Korea or Scotland, what is more important is that they take the lessons from these matches seriously. 

"From experience, you often learn more from difficult games like these than from comfortable victories. They (South Korea and Scotland) will surely test every aspect of this team from tactical discipline to mental strength.

"Like I have always said, if Ivory Coast want to compete at the highest level, they must adapt to this intensity now, not later."

Ivory Coast’s clash with South Korea on Saturday marks their first international outing since the lacklustre 2026 Africa Cup of Nations, during which they exited in the quarter-finals following a 3-2 loss to Egypt in Agadir.

Although Villarreal’s Nicolas Pepe is back for national duty, ex-France youth player Elye Wahi and Martial Godo, who has netted 13 Ligue 1 goals this term, aim to earn their first caps. 

Kouassi is struck by the abundance of skill in the Ivorian lineup, certain it will create a welcome dilemma for manager Fae in choosing his team.

"There are so many great talents in this team, and that can only be a good problem for the coach. He will have to carefully consider his options before making his final selection for the World Cup," he continued.

"At this stage, everyone must continue to fight for their position and prove themselves in every opportunity they get. This is what we call healthy competition.

"Most importantly, we hope all the players avoid injuries as we get closer to the mundial (World Cup), because having a full-strength squad will be crucial for our ambitions."

The sides’ sole prior encounter occurred in March 2010, with the Asian outfit beating the Africans 2-0 in a friendly at Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road in London, courtesy of goals from Lee Dong-gook and Kwak Tae-hwi.

After this match, South Korea heads to Vienna to take on Austria on Tuesday. They sit in Group A with Mexico, South Africa, and a European playoff victor, to be determined shortly.

Ivory Coast squad for Korea and Scotland

Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Rizespor, Turkey), Mohamed Kone (Charleroi, Belgium), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos, Greece)

Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Clement Akpa (AJ Auxerre, France), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Guela Doué (Racing Strasbourg, France), Jean-Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente, Portugal), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta, Italy), Evan Ndicka (Roma, Italy), Wilfred Singo (Galatasaray)

Midfielders: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais), Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi, Belgium), Franck Kessie (Al Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Christ Oulai (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest, England), Jean-Michael Seri (NK Maribor, Slovenia)

Forwards: Simon Adingra (Monaco, France), Amad Diallo (Manchester United, England), Yvan Diomande (RB Leipzig, Germany), Martial Godo (Racing Strasbourg, France), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa, England), Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim, Germany), Benie Traoré (Basel, Switzerland), Elye Wahi (Nice, France).