Ivory Coast announce World Cup team including Bonny and Wahi following nationality changes

Ivory Coast announce World Cup team including Bonny and Wahi following nationality changes
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Inter Milans 22-year-old striker has been selected alongside fellow attacker Elye Wahi. Wahi completed a comparable nationality switch at the start of this year. He earned his initial appearance for the Ivorians during their most recent match. A 1-0 win against Scotland took place in Liverpool at the close of March.

Bonny and the 23-year-old Wahi had earlier represented France at under-21 level.

Nicolas Pepe has returned to the team. He missed the Africa Cup of Nations event in Morocco during the change of the year. The Ivorians were protecting their championship there. Yet they exited at the quarter-final point.

The 30-year-old forward born in France once played for Arsenal. He netted eight LaLiga strikes for Villarreal over the current campaign. Pepe caused debate with remarks in a YouTube clip regarding Moroccos historical struggles at the Cup of Nations.

He issued an apology afterwards. However he claimed to have endured online racial harassment because of it. He also criticised the Ivorian federation for failing to back him.

Sebastien Haller did not make the cut. Haller starred in their Cup of Nations triumph on home ground in 2024. Former England player Wilfried Zaha was also left out.

Ivory Coast sit in Group E. They face Ecuador, Germany and Curacao across their initial group matches.

Bonny might earn his first outing ahead of the main event. The Ivorians take on France in a warm-up match in Lens on June 4th.

Ivory Coasts World Cup team:

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

Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Besiktas), Clement Akpa (Auxerre), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP), Guela Doue (Strasbourg), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta), Evan Ndicka (Roma), Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray)

Midfielders: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais), Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi), Christ Inao Oulai (Trabzonspor), Franck Kessie (Al Ahli), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Jean Seri (NK Maribor)

Forwards: Simon Adingra (Monaco), Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Oumar Diakite (Cercle Brugge), Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa), Nicolas Pepe (Villarreal), Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), Elye Wahi (Nice)