Côte d’Ivoire have announced their 26-man squad for the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, with veteran forward Wilfried Zaha earning a surprise recall after nearly two years away from international football.
The defending champions confirmed the roster on Tuesday afternoon, with Les Éléphants manager Emerse Faé selecting a blend of experience and youth as his side prepare to defend the continental crown won on home soil in 2024. The most eye-catching inclusion is that of the 33-year-old Zaha.
The former Crystal Palace winger returns to the national team setup for the first time since early 2023, having impressed during his spell with Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer. Zaha registered 10 goals and six assists this season, form which prompted Faé to initiate discussions that had been ongoing “for several months” before Tuesday’s announcement.
Jean-Michaël Seri also features in the squad, making his return following a lengthy rehabilitation from injury. The experienced midfielder adds depth to the manager’s options in the centre of the park.
However, the squad selection brings notable absentees, with Villarreal’s Nicolas Pépé and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Simon Adingra both overlooked. Pépé, 29, has been a consistent presence in La Liga this season for the Yellow Submarine but finds himself excluded from international duty once again, continuing a trend from recent windows.
Adingra’s omission proves particularly striking given his emergence as one of the tournament’s standout performers at AFCON 2023. The 23-year-old winger has endured a difficult campaign on loan at Sunderland, managing just nine appearances in the Championship—a lack of game time that appears to have cost him his place. Faé stated that competition for attacking berths had been “exceptionally fierce” and prioritisation was given to players featuring regularly for their clubs.
The manager has retained several of the younger talents who contributed to last year’s triumph, including Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomandé, and Hoffenheim striker Bazoumana Touré, reflecting his desire to maintain continuity whilst refreshing the squad.
Torino defender Wilfried Singo will miss the tournament through injury, whilst Jérémie Boga and Clément Akpa are also absent from the final selection. Aston Villa’s Evann Guessand and Royal Charleroi SC’s Parfait Guiagon have been named as standby reserves.
Les Éléphants face Group F opponents Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique when the tournament commences in Morocco.
SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS: Yahia Fofana (Çaykur Rizespor, Turkey), Mohamed Koné (Charleroi SC, Belgium), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos, Greece)
DEFENDERS: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest, England), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP, Portugal), Guela Doué (RC Strasbourg, France), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente, Portugal), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta BC, Italy), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma, Italy), Christopher Operi (İstanbul Başakşehir, Turkey), Armel Zohouri (FC Iberia 1999, Georgia)
MIDFIELDERS: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais, France), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (FC Metz, France), Christ Inao Oulaï (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Franck Kessié (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest, England), Jean-Michaël Seri (NK Maribor FC, Slovenia)
FORWARDS: Vakoun Bayo (Udinese Calcio, Italy), Oumar Diakité (Cercle Brugge, Belgium), Amad Diallo (Manchester United, England), Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig, Germany), Sébastien Haller (FC Utrecht, Netherlands), Jean-Philippe Krasso (Paris FC, France), Bazoumana Touré (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Germany), Wilfried Zaha (Charlotte FC, United States)
STANDBY: Evann Guessand (Aston Villa, England), Parfait Guiagon (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium)
