In an interview published by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF), coach Emerse Faé hinted that there are still places up for grabs within the Elephants…
During the March gathering, Ivory Coast first stumbled against Benin (2-2), before triumphing over Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay (2-1). A rather convincing gathering, during which “new players have made their mark and shown that they have something to contribute. And players who were at the AFCON have also shown that they still have hunger. So, overall, a positive camp,” analyzed the coach, likely referring to Rennes’ Guéla Doué in particular, the scorer of the decisive goal against the Celeste.
Faé is satisfied with the U23s and U17s
During his interview with the FIF, the former assistant to Jean-Louis Gasset also didn’t miss mentioning the performances of the U23s and U17s during the last gathering. The under-23s lost only 3-2 against France, while the U17s finished 3rd at the Montaigu World Cup. “We are really pleased with what they have done. They put in good performances even if there was no victory in the end. It’s encouraging for the future,” emphasized Faé.
“We will gradually begin to integrate the U23s”
The one who coached the Ivorian U23s between 2022 and 2024 then added: “We know that tomorrow’s senior players are mostly already in the U23s. We must play them as often as possible and track their progress. We have also entered, with the senior team, into a new cycle, a new phase of our history after winning the AFCON. So, we will gradually begin to integrate the U23s who are performing well at club level. We will follow the youth teams very closely because we really need to develop Ivorian football. Ivory Coast must become a strong nation in Africa, not only with the senior team but also with the youth. We will work to develop all of that.” The message has been conveyed to the young Ivorian talents…
