English Premier League (EPL) record 11 times winners Manchester United forward Amad Diallo has been omitted from the African champions Ivory Coast’s squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Kenya’s national team Harambee Stars.
Diallo has been left out as the core of the team that won the AFCON trophy on home soil has been retained by head coach Emerse Fae, who started the continental tournament as an assistant coach before his elevation and proved successful later on.
Diallo showed glittering instances with Manchester United towards the end of the just-concluded Premier League season, and his omission is glaring.
The 21-year-old Ivorian winger enshrined himself in Manchester United’s long and rich history by scoring a last minute extra-time winner in their 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final.
It sparked scenes of wild celebrations inside Old Trafford at the end of what was one of the greatest games the famous stadium had ever witnessed.
On 120 minutes, with the game seemingly destined for a penalty shoot-out, Amad won the ball on the edge of the United penalty, before it broke to Alejandro Garnacho, who took it up the field, before passing it back to Amad who scored with a low finish past the outstretched hand of Caoimhin Kelleher.
It neatly showcased some of Amad’s most obvious talents in one thrilling move: intelligence, work-rate, pace, calmness and clinical finishing.
Willy Boly, Franck Kessie, Jean Michael Seri, and Nicolas Pepe are among the most experienced players in the squad.
Ivory Coast are set to give Harambee Stars a tough outing given that they are a high-ranking nation in Africa and also considering their recent outings in the qualifiers.
The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions will first face Gabon on June 7, before a game against Kenya on June 11.
Despite the daunting task ahead, Kenya’s head coach, Engin Firat, is confident in his charges’ ability to deliver.
“We played against strong teams that Kenya is not used to. We beat Asian champion Qatar away and drew away with Russia. Things are going positive for us on the national team.
“We broke many records in this process and won five away matches in the last year. No one has achieved this in Kenyan history. There is even a coach who has been on duty for 10 years, but he has not seen five away wins.
“We experienced this in one year. We won a cup in a special tournament in March. One of our biggest goals is the World Cup and the African Cup of Nations, which will be held in our country in 2027,” Firat said in a recent interview.
Ivory Coast squad
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana, Kone Mohamed, Sangare Badra Ali
Defenders: Agbadou Emmanuel, Doue Guela, Willy Boly, Ousmanne Diomande, Ghislain Konan, Odilon Kossounou, Evan Ndicka, Christopher Operi, Wilfried Singo
Midfielders: Lazare Amani, Seko Fofana, Franck Kessie, Mohamed Diomande, Jean Michael Seri
Strikers: Simon Adingra, Mohamed Bamba, Jeremie Boga, Oumar Diakite, Evann Guessand, Sebastien Haller, Nicolas Pepe, Emmanuel Lath
