World Cup (Q): Fofana out, Keita in as Ivory Coast make late change to squad

Ivory Coast have been dealt a huge blow after midfielder Seko Fofana was forced out of the national team due to injury before the Elephants’ final 2026 World Cup qualifying matches. Head coach Emerse Faé has called up Romania-based Kader Keita in Fofana’s place.

🚨 COMMUNIQUÉ – Équipe Nationale 🇨🇮

Seko Fofana forfait ❌
Le milieu de terrain est indisponible pour raison médicale (douleur à la chaîne postérieure).

➡️ Il est remplacé par Kader Keita du Rapid Bucarest pour cette fenêtre FIFA d’octobre 2025. pic.twitter.com/6QQQ98sPE0

— FIF 🇨🇮🐘 (@FIFCI_tweet) October 6, 2025

Ivory Coast are gearing up to face Seychelles and Kenya in Group F, with the West African nation in pole position to secure direct qualification ahead of Gabon, who they lead by a point. Faé has already lost reliable defender Odilon Kossounou through injury. Now, the energetic Fofana is out due to pain in the posterior chain, said the Ivorian Football Federation.

Keita, on the books of Rapid Bucharest, makes his return to the national team fold for the first time since March 2024. The 24-year-old defensive midfielder only amassed 17 minutes during his debut in 2024 against Uruguay and will be hoping to get more minutes during the crucial ties.

The Elephants will also be without Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Wilfried Singo. They will be hoping to secure qualification this October and return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014.