Ivory Coast name World Cup squad with Bonny & Wahi in after nationality switches

[p]The 22-year-old Inter ‌Milan forward was joined by fellow forward Elye Wahi, who made a ‌similar change earlier this year and won a first ‌cap for the Ivorians in their last game when they ‌beat Scotland 1-0 in Liverpool at the end of ‌March.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bonny-ange-yoan/08MpRWg8/"]Bonny[/a] and Wahi, 23, were previously capped by France at under-21 level.[/b][/p][p]There was also a recall for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepe-nicolas/j3Hk0qEj/"]Nicolas Pepe[/a], omitted from the ‌Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco ⁠at the turn of ‌the year, where the Ivorians were defending their title but went ​out at the quarter-final stage.[/p][p]The 30-year-old French-born former Arsenal forward, who scored eight LaLiga goals for ​Villarreal this season, sparked controversy for comments made in a YouTube video about Morocco’s past poor record at the ⁠Cup of Nations.[/p][p]He later ​apologised but said, as a result, he had been subjected to racial abuse online and accused the Ivorian federation of not supporting him.[/p][embed guid="55ff7e0c-00ec-4856-912e-f5c35ab180dd" url="https://x.com/equipenatciv/status/2055278301225115935?s=46" social-type="twitter" /][p]There was no place in the squad ‌for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haller-sebastien/Ie17FSsK/"]Sebastien Haller[/a], who was the hero when they won the Cup of Nations on home soil in 2024, or former England international Wilfried Zaha.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] are in Group E, where they will play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/curacao/bLLGpOkQ/"]Curacao[/a] in their opening round fixtures.[/b][/p][p]Bonny could make his debut before the tournament when the Ivorians face France in Lens on June 4th in a pre-World Cup friendly.[/p][h2]Ivory Coast's World Cup squad:[/h2][p][b]Goalkeepers: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fofana-yahia/rqDavwpd/"]Yahia Fofana[/a] (Rizespor), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kone-mohamed/KEptl4xb/"]Mohamed Kone[/a] (Charleroi), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lafont-alban/p64JKtYL/"]Alban Lafont[/a] (Panathinaikos)[/p][p][b]Defenders: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/agbadou-emmanuel/fRbu2Opo/"]Emmanuel Agbadou[/a] (Besiktas), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akpa-clement/fo9YVp8o/"]Clement Akpa[/a] (Auxerre), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-ousmane/ngCb1gCI/"]Ousmane Diomande[/a] (Sporting CP), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-guela/vg3drc4E/"]Guela Doue[/a] (Strasbourg), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/n-clomande-ghislain-konan/4d6oztsU/"]Ghislain Konan[/a] (Gil Vicente), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kossounou-odilon/SzDIipZ9/"]Odilon Kossounou[/a] (Atalanta), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/n-dicka-obite/0ORJzjri/"]Evan Ndicka[/a] (Roma), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/singo-wilfried/Ym8dZot0/"]Wilfried Singo[/a] (Galatasaray)[/p][p][b]Midfielders:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fofana-seko/f5FGGqhC/"]Seko Fofana[/a] (Stade Rennais), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guiagon-parfait/rT7OYOq8/"]Parfait Guiagon[/a] (Charleroi), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/inao-oulai-christ/KK953yrm/"]Christ Inao Oulai[/a] (Trabzonspor), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kessie-franck/n7dQ4tBL/"]Franck Kessie[/a] (Al Ahli), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sangare-ibrahim/0zOKXsla/"]Ibrahim Sangare[/a] (Nottingham Forest), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/seri-jean/fq8rAzEM/"]Jean Seri[/a] (NK Maribor)[/p][p][b]Forwards: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adingra-simon/6kgBNHG6/"]Simon Adingra[/a] (Monaco), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bonny-ange-yoan/08MpRWg8/"]Ange-Yoan Bonny[/a] (Inter), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/traore-amad/I5Rhq1WL/"]Amad Diallo[/a] (Manchester United), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diakite-oumar/jeOb1FYh/"]Oumar Diakite[/a] (Cercle Brugge), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-yan/0p2ORrJi/"]Yan Diomande[/a] (RB Leipzig), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guessand-evann/QXyb0B8i/"]Evann Guessand[/a] (Aston Villa), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepe-nicolas/j3Hk0qEj/"]Nicolas Pepe[/a] (Villarreal), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toure-bazoumana/jqfhZBWt/"]Bazoumana Toure[/a] (Hoffenheim), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wahi-sepe-elye/8jdHWf50/"]Elye Wahi[/a] (Nice)[/p]