Ivory Coast are almost certainly the strongest African team we'll see in Brazil this summer; a view reinforced by manager Sabri Lamouchi's strong provisional 28-man squad. There are a handful of star names included; with both Yaya and Kolo Touré, Didier Drogba and Wilfried Bony making the cut. There is, however, no spot for former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué.
World Cup 2014 squads: Stars included in Ivory Coast’s preliminary 28
Ivory Coast boss Sabri Lamouchi has named his preliminary World Cup squad.
Mike Hewitt
Other big names that are included are midfielders Cheik Tioté and Didier Ya Konan from Newcastle and Hannover respectively, though it's up front where they look the most well-stocked. Alongside Drogba and Bony are AS Roma's Gervinho, Lille's Salomon Kalou, CSKA Moscow's Seydou Doumbia and Lacina Traoré, who moved on loan to Everton earlier this year but was hampered by injury.
Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Sylvain Gbohouo (Séwé Sport), Ali Sangaré Badra (Asec Mimosas), Sayouba Mandé (Stabaek).
Defenders: Kolo Touré (Liverpool), Sol Bamba (Trabzonspor), Didier Zokora (Trabzonspor), Serge Aurier (Toulouse), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Benjamin Angoua (Valenciennes), Ousmane Viera Diarrassouba (Caykur Rizespor), Constant Djakpa (Frankfurt), Brice Dja Djédjé (Marseille), Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro (Toulouse).
Midfielders: Yaya Touré (Manchester City), Cheik Tioté (Newcastle), Serey Die (Basel), Max Gradel (Saint-Étienne), Ismaël Diomande (Saint-Étienne), Didier Ya Konan (Hannover), Mathis Bolly (Dusseldorf).
Forwards: Gervinho (AS Roma), Didier Drogba (Galatasaray), Salomon Kalou (Lille), Wilfried Bony (Swansea), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Lacina Traoré (Everton), Giovanni Sio (Basel).
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