Ivory Coast have named a strong squad for their opening two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana and Somalia as new head coach Hervé Renard begins his competitive campaign in charge of the Elephants.
Renard has included a mix of established internationals and emerging talent, with Manchester United defender Leny Yoro, Real Madrid youngster Yan Diomandé, Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie, Brighton’s Malick Yalcouyé and Newcastle United forward Bazoumana Touré among the notable selections.
Ivory Coast begin their Group C campaign against Ghana in Bouaké on Thursday, 24 September, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT.
They will then face Somalia on 29 September in their second qualifier.
The matches represent Renard’s first competitive assignments since returning to the Ivory Coast job, with the former Saudi Arabia and France women’s coach tasked with guiding the Elephants to the 2027 AFCON finals.
Kessie and Sangare provide experience
Renard has retained a strong core of experienced players for the opening qualifiers.
Former Barcelona and Al-Ahli midfielder Kessie is included alongside Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare, giving Ivory Coast considerable strength and experience in midfield.
They are joined by Yalcouyé, Yann Gboho, Amadou Kone, Christ Inao, Michel Adopo and Parfait Guiagon.
Kessie and Sangare are likely to play important roles against Ghana, particularly in a midfield battle that could prove decisive in the opening Group C fixture.
Ivory Coast have also named a strong defensive unit.
Roma’s Evan Ndicka, Nottingham Forest’s Ousmane Diomande, Bayer Leverkusen’s Guela Doue and Manchester United’s Yoro are among the defenders selected.
Yoro’s inclusion is one of the most notable aspects of the squad, with the young centre-back continuing his development at Manchester United.
Christopher Operi, Ismael Doukoure, Abdoul Ouattara, Oumar Solet, Christ Tape and Clement Akpa complete the defensive options.
Renard has attacking depth
There is also plenty of attacking quality in the Ivory Coast squad.
Real Madrid forward Diomandé is among the headline names, while Newcastle’s Touré and Inter Milan’s Ange-Yoan Bonny have also been selected.
OGC Nice forward Elye Wahi, RB Leipzig’s Karim Konate, Sturm Graz’s Oumar Diakite, Villarreal’s Nicolas Pepe and Crystal Palace’s Evan Guessand provide Renard with further options in attack.
Pepe’s experience will be particularly valuable, while the inclusion of several younger forwards reflects Ivory Coast’s blend of established international players and emerging talent.
Lafont included among three goalkeepers
Renard has selected Yahia Fofana, Mohamed Kone and Alban Lafont as his three goalkeepers.
Fofana plays for Turkish side Rizespor, while Kone is with Charleroi and Lafont represents Panathinaikos.
Ivory Coast will hope to make a winning start against Ghana before turning their attention to Somalia.
Somalia do not currently have a CAF-approved home stadium, meaning their 29 September fixture is expected to be played in Ivory Coast.
The opening round of fixtures will be particularly important in Group C, which also contains The Gambia.
Ghana and Ivory Coast meet in the headline fixture of the opening matchday, while The Gambia face Somalia.
The top two teams from groups without a host nation will qualify for the 2027 AFCON finals, which will be staged jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
For Ghana, the match will be one of Carlos Queiroz’s first competitive assignments since returning as Black Stars coach.
The Portuguese coach was appointed after Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON and will be hoping to lead the four-time African champions back to the continental tournament.
With two of West Africa’s leading football nations meeting at the Stade de la Paix, the opening Group C fixture promises to be one of the standout matches of the first round of qualifying.
Ivory Coast squad
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Rizespor), Mohamed Kone (Charleroi), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos)
Defenders: Clement Akpa (Auxerre), Christ Tape (Toulouse), Evan Ndicka (Roma), Christopher Operi (Istanbul Basaksehir), Guela Doue (Bayer Leverkusen), Ousmane Diomande (Nottingham Forest), Ismael Doukoure (Strasbourg), Abdoul Ouattara (Ipswich Town), Oumar Solet (Udinese), Leny Yoro (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Franck Kessie (Atalanta), Malick Yalcouyé (Brighton), Yann Gboho (Coventry City), Amadou Kone (Neom SC), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Christ Inao (Fiorentina), Michel Adopo (Cagliari), Parfait Guiagon (Al-Taawoun)
Forwards: Yan Diomandé (Real Madrid), Bazoumana Touré (Newcastle United), Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter Milan), Elye Wahi (Nice), Karim Konate (RB Leipzig), Oumar Diakite (Sturm Graz), Nicolas Pepe (Villarreal), Evan Guessand (Crystal Palace)
