AFCON: Ivory Coast coach defends omission of key stars

Ivory Coast national team trainer Emerse Faé explained why he omitted Sunderland winger Simon Adingra and Villarreal forward Nicolas Pépé from the squad ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The AFCON holders are up against Mozambique, Gabon, and Cameroon.

 

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A post shared by ADINGRA SIMON (@simon.adingra)

Adingra, 23, struggled to get playing time at Sunderland after making his switch from Brighton. Faé did not hide that Adingra was overlooked due to his performance. “At his club, he faces fierce competition. He struggles to play regularly at his club in England. He is not at his best. We based our decision on the performances of our players. To win a competition like the Africa Cup of Nations, you need a strong team. We also took into account player compatibility.”

Fae, 41, also said that Pépé would have joined the squad, but on and off-field reasons pushed him out of the Elephants squad. “If we were to consider only the sporting aspect, he would obviously be with us. To make a list, you have to take into account many factors, both on and off the field. All these factors have led to Nico not being on the list.”

 

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The omission of the two key players raised questions about Faé, but the 41-year-old AFCON-winning coach remains firm and bold in his decision.