WILFRIED ZAHA RETURNS TO CôTE D’IVOIRE AFCON SQUAD. ADINGRA SURPRISINGLY CUT FOR MOROCCO 2025
Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire make a surprise call-up, bringing MLS star Wilfried Zaha back after two years, but omit Simon Adingra from the final AFCON 2025 squad.
Côte d’Ivoire coach Emerse Faé has picked his 26-man team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Wilfried Zaha is back in a surprise move, but Simon Adingra didn't cut.
The announcement came on Tuesday. The defending champions have now confirmed which players are heading to Morocco.
Zaha, now 33, is back after almost two years away, thanks to a great season with Charlotte FC in MLS. He scored 10 goals and assisted six times.
Faé wants a mix of experience and fresh talent as the team tries to defend their 2024 title.
Faé mentioned that he'd been talking with Zaha for months. He added that Zaha’s current play and style are just what the Elephants need up front.
Jean-Michaël Seri is also back after recovering from an injury.
Several younger players are staying on the team, including Yan Diomandé, Amad Diallo, and Bazoumana Touré. Faé wants to keep the team competitive while adding some new energy.
One of the biggest surprises is the absence of Brighton winger Simon Adingra. He had a great AFCON in 2023, but he hasn't played much for Sunderland this season, only appearing in nine games.
Faé explained that there's a lot of competition for Adingra's position. He had to pick players who had been playing more consistently.
Nicolas Pépé is another notable player who won't be going, even though he's been playing regularly for Villarreal. He's been left out of recent international games. Jérémie Boga and Clément Akpa are also out, and Torino defender Wilfried Singo is missing the tournament due to an injury.
Two reserves, Parfait Guiagon and Evann Guessand, will be on standby in case anyone needs to drop out before the tournament.
Côte d’Ivoire is in Group F with Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique. After their exciting title win in 2024, Faé hopes that the mix of youth and experience will help the Elephants compete well in Morocco again.
FULL SQUAD FOR AFCON 2025
GOALKEEPERS: Yahia Fofana (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey), Mohamed Koné (Charleroi SC, Belgium), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos, Greece)
DEFENDERS: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Boly Willy (Nottingham Forest, England), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP, Portugal)
Guela Doué (RC Strasbourg, France), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente, Portugal), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta BC, Italy), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma, Italy), Christopher Operi (Istanbul Başakşehir, Turkey), Armel Zohouri (FC Iberia 1999, Georgia)
MIDFIELDERS: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais, France), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (FC Metz, France), Christ Inao Oulaï (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Franck Kessié (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest, England), Jean-Michael Seri (NK Maribor FC, Slovenia)
FORWARDS: Vakoun Bayo (Udinese Calcio, Italy), Oumar Diakité (Cercle Brugge, Belgium), Amad Diallo (Manchester United, England), Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig, Germany), Sébastien Haller (FC Utrecht, Netherlands), Jean-Philippe Krasso (Paris FC, France), Bazoumana Touré (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Germany), Wilfried Zaha (Charlotte FC, United States)
STANDBY: Guessand Evann (Aston Villa, England), Guiagon Parfait (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium)
WILFRIED NANCY: CELTIC BOSS BLOCKS OUT ALL "NOISE" AND CRITICISM AFTER HEARTS LOSS
After the heat following the Hearts' loss, Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy stated he has "blocked everything out," including social media criticism, to focus solely on the team's performance.
Celtic's head coach, Wilfried Nancy, said he tunes out all the noise when making decisions as a manager.
This comes after the Frenchman faced some heat after a 2-1 loss to Heart of Midlothian in his first game with the Glasgow team.
Before the Europa League match against AS Roma, Nancy said he doesn't pay attention to what others think.
When asked if those opinions bother him, he told a press conference, "That's a good question."
I'll be honest.
Every team I've coached—when I decided to become a coach—well, when I had the chance to become a coach, I'd been an assistant for seven years, working with many coaches.
I always told myself that when I became a coach, I'd block everything out. And that's exactly what I did.
He said he's built a wall between himself and any outside opinions, even online criticism.
I've blocked anything on Twitter that mentions my name, the club, or what people are saying.
People can say what they want. It's part of the job, and that's what we prepare for. I'm not here to comment on everything.
The manager explained that ignoring public opinion helps him focus on what he can control to improve how the team plays.
He used an analogy about how everyone has different tastes, like when people have different experiences with the same food.
We could visit a restaurant together, and you might love the food, while I don't.
Get what I mean? You like it, and I don't.
Nancy made his goals clear: he's focused on his players and the club and wants to do his best to give good performances.
He wrapped up by saying, At the end of the day, it's part of the job. I control what I can to be good with my players, my club, and the people I work with and to make sure we have the best chance of winning by playing well.
His team will play AS Roma in the Europa League tomorrow.
PEACE PRIZE SCRUTINY: FIFA FACES FORMAL COMPLAINT ABOUT UNILATERAL DONALD TRUMP AWARD
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is accused of four breaches of the ethics code by FairSquare, including awarding the first FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump at the World Cup draw.
After the World Cup draw last week, FIFA is facing a formal complaint about political neutrality. FairSquare, a nonprofit, sent FIFA’s Ethics Committee a detailed letter pointing out four possible violations by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the event, one of which was giving out the FIFA Peace Prize.
Calls for FIFA to Look Into It
FairSquare's complaint follows the World Cup draw. At the event, the awarding of the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize was part of several mentions of President Donald Trump. FIFA said the award recognised Trump’s work in promoting peace and unity around the world.
FairSquare believes that giving the prize, along with other things that happened during the event, might have gone against FIFA’s policy of being politically neutral. They've requested the ethics committee to look into the decision to create and give out the FIFA Peace Prize and whether it followed FIFA’s rules.
Infantino and Trump
Infantino and Trump have met a few times over the years, which isn't unusual, as FIFA presidents often meet with leaders from different countries. During the draw, Infantino made some comments about Trump.
He said he was surprised by negative comments about Trump. He stated that, regardless of not being American, Trump was elected in the United States, and one should respect the results of a democratic election.
FairSquare's complaint argues that these statements show a political stance, breaking FIFA’s neutrality rules.
FIFA's Ethics Code
FIFA's ethics code says that the organisation should stay neutral when it comes to politics. It specifically says FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion, also requiring everyone bound by the code to remain politically neutral when dealing with government groups.
Infantino has met with Trump a few times, including an invitation to the presidential inauguration and visits to the Oval Office.
Acting Alone
The Peace Prize given to Trump has been questioned, as it seems it was decided on and awarded without talking to senior FIFA officials. High-ranking FIFA officials were unaware of the award before its announcement. The award was revealed on the same day Infantino spoke at an event in the United States.