English Premier League defenders Eric Bailly and Serge Aurier will lead Ivory Coast team that will face Rwanda in an AFCON qualifier match at Nyamirambo Stadium, Rwanda.
Bailly who plays for Manchester United and Aurier from Tottenham Hotspurs will lead the Elephants campaign on September 9th in a Group H match.
This will not be the first encounter between the nations as a 5-0 win for Elephants in 2010 and a 3-0 one in 2012 marks the Westerners victory over the CECAFA region nation. Rwanda surprised the former AFCON champs in a CHAN competition in 2016 with a 1-0 win.
23-man squad
Goalkeepers: Sayouba Mande (OB/Danemark), Badra Ali (Free State Stars/South Africa), Gbohouo Sylvain (TP Mazembe/DRC)
Defenders: Eric Bailly (Man United/England), Serge Aurier (Tottenham/England), Kanon Wilfried ( ADO Den Haag/ Holland), Traoré Adama (Göztepe/Turkey), Kone Lamine (Strasbourg/France) and Ghislain Konan (Stade de Reims/France)
Midfielders: Serey Die (FC Basel/Swiss), Ahoulou Eudes (Monaco/France), Franck Kessie (Milan AC/Italy), Seri Jean Michaël (Fulham/England), Doukouré Cheick (Levante/Spain) and Serge N’Guessan (Nancy/France)
Forwards: Kodjia Jonathan (Aston Villa/ England), Assale Roger (Young Boys/Swiss), Pépé Nicolas (Lille/France), Max Gradel (Toulouse/France), Bayo Vakoun (Dunajská Streda/Slovaquia) and Maxwel Cornet (Lyon/France)