Hervé Renard names Côte d'Ivoire squad for AFCON 2027 qualifiers

Hervé Renard has announced his first squad for the Côte d'Ivoire national team since returning to the helm. The 25-man roster for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers includes notable names such as Manchester United defender Leny Yoro, Real Madrid's Yan Diomandé, and Atalanta's Franck Kessié. Renard is introducing several new players, including Christ Tapé and Malick Yalcouyé, to bolster the squad ahead of matches against Ghana and Somalia.

In Guinea, head coach Paulo Duarte has also released his 25-player list for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers against South Africa and Kenya. The squad features Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy but will be without Naby Keïta and captain Mouctar Diakhaby due to injury. Duarte has publicly criticized the lack of service passports for Guinean internationals, stating that administrative hurdles and visa difficulties are hindering team preparation and causing players to arrive late for training sessions.