Sven Goran Eriksson Finalizes Ivory Coast’s 2010 World Cup Roster, Omits Bakari Kone And Abdoulaye Meite

Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Yaya Touré and Kolo Touré highlight Cote d’Ivoire’s 2010 World Cup squad, finalized by Sven Goran Eriksson on Tuesday.

The new coach of Les Elephants cut seven players off his preliminary roster, the most notable of which: West Bromwich Albion defender Abdoulaye Meite. Meite was a starter for Cote d’Ivoire last year but had recently lost time to Hibernian’s Sol Bamba. Now, the 29-year-old center half is out of the squad.

Another notable omission was Marseille’s Bakari Koné. Koné, most notable for his size (5’4”) has 41 caps and was a member of the 2006 World Cup team, scoring a goal against the Netherlands. He appears to have lost out to his namesake Emmanuel, who is coming off a strong year in the Romanian Liga, on loan with Internacional.

Eriksson’s other Tuesday cuts: goalkeeper Vincent Angban, midfielders Gilles Yapi Yopo and Emerse Fase, and forwards Kanga Akale and Lacina.

The most notable of the inclusions is captain Didier Drogba, who has 44 goals in 67 appearances for Cote d’Ivoire. He is joined in attack by Aruna Dindane (Lekhqiya), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Kalou (Chelsea), Gervinho (Lille), and Emmanuel Koné (CFR Cluj).

In midfield, Yaya Touré and Didier Zokora (Sevilla) are joined by Romaric (Sevilla), Cheick Tioté (Twente), Jean-Jacques Gosso (AS Monaco), and Adbul Kader Keita (Galatasaray).

At the back, Kolo Touré and Bamba will be in the middle of a defense that includes Emmanuel Eboué (Arsenal) and Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes). Also amongst Eriksson’s defense is Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Steve Gohouri (Wigan Athletic), Guy Demel (Hamburg), and Benjamin Angoua (Valenciennes).

Boubacar Barry (Lokeren) is in line to be the number one in goal with Aristide Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya) and Daniel Yeboah (Abidjan) in reserve. Yeboah is the only domestically-based player in the Cote d’Ivoire squad.

Cote d’Ivoire plays in possibly the most important match of the World Cup’s first fixtures: a Group G contest with Portugal that could be definitive in determining which team moves on from the group with Brazil. North Korea is also in Group G.

Barry, Boubacar (KSC Lokeren)
Yeboah, Daniel (Abidjan)
Zogbo, Aristide (Maccabi Netanya)

Angoua, Benjamin (Valenciennes)
Bamba, Sol (Hibernian)
Boka, Arthur (Stuttgart)
Demel, Guy (Hamburg)
Eboué, Emmanuel (Arsenal)
Gohouri, Steve (Wigan Athletic)
Tiené, Siaka (Valenciennes)
Touré, Kolo (Manchester City)

Gosso, Jean-Jacques (Monaco)
Keita, Abdul Kader (Galatasaray)
Romaric (Sevilla)
Tioté, Cheick (Twente)
Touré, Yaya (Barcelona)
Zokora, Didier (Sevilla)

Dindane, Aruna (Lekhwiya)
Drogba, Didier (Chelsea)
Doummbia, Seydou (CSKA Moscow)
Gervinho (Lille)
Koné, Emmanuel (CFR Cluj)