Cote d’Ivoire change defensive plans as Ismael Doukoure call-up falls through

Ismael Doukoure will not join Cote d’Ivoire’s squad for the upcoming international window, despite reports that the Strasbourg defender had been selected as cover for the injured Odilon Kossounou.

Junior Diaz has instead been called up by head coach Herve Renard, while Luck Zogbe has been added to replace Guela Doue, who has suffered a calf injury, the Federation ivoirienne de football (FIF) confirmed.

Doukoure had been reported as a late replacement for Kossounou, who was injured while playing for Atalanta. The 21-year-old was expected to join the Elephants for their matches against Ghana in Bouake on 24 September, Somalia in Abidjan on 29 September and Cameroon in Abidjan on 3 October.

However, the possibility of a first senior international call-up has now disappeared, at least for this gathering.

Diaz, who is 23, the same age as Doukoure, has played for Troyes for the past two years. He has made five appearances this season, starting all five matches.

The 1.93m defender has been selected by Cote d’Ivoire once before. Emerse Fae brought him on at half-time during a 7-0 victory over Seychelles on 10 October 2025.

The decision not to select Doukoure comes after Renard indicated last Wednesday that the player had been close to inclusion.

“Ismael Doukoure was not far from being in the list,” Renard said, adding that “it came down to very little”.

The manager explained that he had chosen to rely on the four central defenders who had represented Cote d’Ivoire at the World Cup and were currently performing well.

Kossounou’s withdrawal appeared to create an opening for Doukoure, who was in contention for his first senior call-up five years after ending his time with France’s youth teams. His international career with France had taken him from Under-19 level through to the Under-23s.

That opportunity has now been postponed, although the reasons for the late change remain unclear. The reversal has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the move, with further clarification awaited.

Luck Zogbe’s inclusion, meanwhile, confirms the replacement of Guela Doue, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen and is nursing a calf problem.