Pepe in, Zaha out as Ivory Coast releases squad for Ghana friendly

Arsenal winger, Nicolas Pepe has been named in Ivory Coast squad for their double international friendly next month.

Head coach of the Elephants Patrice Beaumelle excluded Pepe who scored a brace in the Gunners’ 3-1 win over Crystal on Wednesday alongside Crystal Palace winger, Wilfried Zaha and 33-year-old Yao Kouassi Gervais( Gervinho).

The 24-man squad will face the Black Stars of Ghana and Burkina Faso in place of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers which were shifted from June to September.

The Elephants will take on Burkina Faso on 5 June 2021 in Abidjan before they face Ghana on 12 June 2021 in Cape Coast.

The Frenchman handed debut call-ups to six players namely; Hamed Junior Traore, Chris Vianney Bedia, Serge Arnaud Aka, Ismaila Wafougossani Soro, Hassane Kamara and Wilfried Singo.

• GOALKEEPERS

Sylvain Gbohouo (TP Mazembe – DR Congo) Ali Sangare Badra (JDR Stars – South Africa)

• DEFENDERS

Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur – England) Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers – England) Wilfried Singo (Torino FC – Italy) Eric Bertrand Bailly (Manchester United – England) Diomande Sinaly (Olympique Lyon – France) Wilfried Kanon (Al Gharafa – Qatar) Hassane Kamara (OGC Nice – France) Odilon Kossounou (Club Brugges – Belgium) Maxwell Cornet (Olympique Lyon – France)

• MIDFIELDERS

Serey Die Geoffroy (FC Sion – Switzerland) Sangare Ibrahim (PSV Eindhoven – Netherlands) Ismaila Wafougossani Soro (Celtic FC – Scotland) Franck Yannick Kessie (AC Milan – Italy) Serge Arnaud Aka (El Gouna – Egypt) Hamed Junior Traore (US Sassuolo – Italy) Max Alain Gradel (Sivasspor – Turkey) Amad Diallo Traore (Manchester United – England)

• FORWARDS

Junior Lago (Real Mallorca – Spain) Sebastien Haller (Ajax Amsterdam – Netherlands) Christian Koffi Kouame (Fiorentina – Italy) Jeremie Boga (US Sassuolo – Italy) Chris Vianney Bedia (FC Sochaux – France)