Striker Wilfried Bony has been included in an Ivory Coast squad for the first time since the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
The 30-year-old has been named on a 27-man provisional list for the upcoming Nations Cup in Egypt. Bony is currently without a club after Swansea released him earlier in May. He spent the end of the season on loan at Qatar’s Al-Arabi, where he scored five goals in their final seven league matches.
Coach Ibrahim Kamara has a wealth of attacking options with Max-Alain Gradel, Aston Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia, Maxwell Cornet, Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Nicolas Pepe all on the list. Pepe has just finished as the second highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 with 22 goals for Lille last season.
However, there is no room for Gervinho in the squad despite his 11 goals and four assists in 30 Serie A league games for Parma last season. Kamara will name his final 23-man squad on 9 June. The Elephants will play two friendly warm-up matches in Abu Dhabi against Uganda on June 14 and probably against Libya four days later before they fly out to Egypt.
The two times African champions will face South Africa in their opening match on 24 June and will then lock horns with Morocco four days later before they play their final group game against Namibia on 1 July.
