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Yaya Toure Not Included In Cote D’Ivoire Squad

Yaya Toure Not Included In Cote D’Ivoire Squad

Cote D’Ivoire coach Michel Dussuyer has named the 24-man squad that will play two important 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Liberia later this month, and Yaya Toure was a surprise exclusion from the list.

The Manchester City midfielder has recently been nominated for the FIFA Balon D’Or and the African Player of the Year award, but he will not be involved in these crucial games for the Elephants.

Toure’s team-mates at the Citizens, Wilfried Bony has been called up for national team duty, and will be available in attack alongside the likes of Seydou Doumbia of CSKA Moscow, Hertha Berlin’s Salomon Kalou, and Roma’s Gervinho.

Dussuyer is aware of the importance of these two encounters in ensuring that his team qualifies to defend the title that they won at the beginning of this year, when Herve Renard was in charge.

“We have to get past this round and that is what we’re going to try and do against Liberia, who are respectable opponents and who beat Tunisia during qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations as well as eliminating Sierra Leona in the first round of World Cup qualifying,” Dussuyer told FIFA.com.

“We are expecting a difficult confrontation,” the coach added.

 

Cote D’Ivoire Squad

Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohouo (TP Mazembe/COD), Mandé Sayouba (Stabaek/NOR), Ali Badra Sangaré (ASEC Mimosas/CIV)

Defenders: Serge Aurier (Paris SG/FRA), Mamadou Bagayoko (KV St Trond/BEL), Eric Bailly (Villareal/ESP),Simon Déli (Slavia Prague/CZE), Constant Djakpa (Eintracht Francfurt/GER), Lamine Kone (Lorient/FRA), Ousmane Viera (Rizespor/TUR), Arthur Boka (Malaga/ESP)

Midfielders: Victorien Angban (St Tronden/BEL), Jean Daniel Akpa Akpro (Toulouse FC/FRA), Ismaël Diomandé (St Etienne/FRA), Assane Gnoukouri (Inter Milan/ITA), Geoffrey Serey Die (Stuttgart/GER), Jean Michaël Séri (Nice/FRA),Serge Yao N’Guessan (AFAD Djékanou)

Strikers: Gervinho (Roma/ITA), Roger Assalé(TP Mazembe/COD), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Cyriac Gohi Bi (KV Ostende/BEL), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin/GER), Giovanni Sio (Rennes/FRA), Thomas Toure (Bordeaux/FRA), Wilfried Bony (Manchester City/ENG)