NATIONAL TEAM - IVORY COAST - COACH - Wilmots names his first Ivory Coast squad

WORLD CUP 2018 QUALIFIERS AFRICA CUP 2019 QUALIFIERS

New Ivory Coast coach Marc Wilmots has named his first squad since getting the job in March.

Ivory Coast face the Netherlands in a friendly on 4 June and Guinea in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier five days later.

Hertha Berlin's Salomon Kalou is included on the 27-man list as he continues his international career.

Kalou was considering his international future after the defending champions crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations this year.

The 31-year-old said in January that the tournament in Gabon would be his last Nations Cup but that he was thinking of playing on with Ivory Coast until the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The former Belgium coach also included striker long-term absentee Seydou Doumbia on the list.

Three of the four former France youth internationals that Wilmots has persuaded to swap national allegiances and play for Ivory Coast are also included in the squad.

Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Jeremie Boga and Maxwell Cornet could all make their debuts for Ivory Coast in June while Seko Fofana misses out through injury.

The games will be the first in charge for Wilmots since he was appointed in March.

Ivory Coast squad:

Goalkeepers: 

Sylvain Gbohouo 
(TP Mazembe, DR Congo) 

Axel Kacou 
(Tours, France)

Mandé Sayouba 
(Stabaek, Norway)

Ali Badra Sangaré 
(AS Tanda, Ivory Coast)

Abdoul Karim Cissé 
(SC Gagnoa, Ivory Coast)

Defenders: 

Serge Aurier 
(Paris St Germain, France), 

Mamadou Bagayoko 
(St Truiden, Belgium)

Eric Bailly 
(Man Utd, England)

Simon Deli 
(Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)

Lamine Koné 
(Sunderland, England)

Ismaël Traoré 
(Angers, France)

Wilfried Kanon 
(ADO Hague, Netherlands)

Adama Traoré 
(FC Bâsel, Switzerland)

Joris Gnagnon 
(Rennes, France)

Ghislain Konan 
(Guimaraes, Portugal)

Midfielders: 

Cheick Doukouré 
(Metz, France)

Franck Kessié 
(Atalanta, Italy)

Geoffroy Serey Dié 
(FC Basel, Switzerland)

Jean-Philippe Gbamin 
(Mainz, Germany)

Jean Michaël Séri 
(Nice, France)

Attackers: 

Nicolas Pépé 
(Angers, France)

Maxwell Cornet 
(Lyon, France)

Giovanni Sio 
(Rennes, France)

Wilfried Zaha 
(Crystal Palace, England)

Jérémie Boga 
(Grenada, Spain)

Salomon Kalou 
(Hertha Berlin, Germany)

Seydou Doumbia 
(FC Bâsel, Switzerland)