Cote d’Ivoire manager Herve Renard has publicly encouraged dual-national midfielder Issa Doumbia to join the Elephants, using an emotional appeal while explaining why the 22-year-old was not included in his latest squad.
Renard has named eight first-time players ahead of Cote d’Ivoire’s upcoming fixtures, with most of the new selections holding dual nationality. The Elephants will face Ghana and Somalia in CAN 2027 qualifying on 24 and 29 September respectively, before hosting Cameroon in a high-profile friendly on 3 October.
All three matches will be played at home.
Asked about Doumbia, the versatile midfielder who is also eligible to represent Italy and has already played for their Under-21 side, Renard described the matter as “a sensitive subject” before giving further details about the player’s absence.
The former France Women manager then made a strong public appeal to Doumbia, clearly inviting him to consider representing Cote d’Ivoire. Renard’s intervention also appealed to the player’s sense of personal and national attachment.
Doumbia has not received a call-up for the forthcoming matches, despite his eligibility to play for either country. Renard’s comments leave the choice of international allegiance firmly with the Strasbourg-born midfielder, who remains able to represent Italy after appearing for their youth teams.
The Cote d’Ivoire manager also addressed the decision not to select Ismael Doukoure, the 23-year-old central defender from Strasbourg.
Renard said Doukoure was considered not yet ready for international football and also faced strong competition for a place in the squad. The defender is therefore absent from the group selected for the matches against Ghana, Somalia and Cameroon.
The squad changes form part of Renard’s preparations for the CAN 2027 qualifying campaign, with Cote d’Ivoire beginning the next phase of its schedule against Ghana on 24 September. Somalia will provide the opposition four days later, before the meeting with Cameroon on 3 October.