Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae explains decision to drop Nicolas Pepe for AFCON 2025  

Ivory Coach Emerse Fae says his decision to drop Villarreal star Nicolas Pepe from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final squad goes beyond sporting criteria.

Fae confirmed his squad for the continental showpiece on Tuesday, with several top players including Nicolas Pepe, Simon Adingra and Wilfried Singo missing out on the list for the tournament in Morocco.

The omission of the 30-year-old comes as a surprise to the many, having featured consistently for the Spanish outfit this season.

Since the commencement of the campaign, the forward has racked up two goals and provided two assists in 20 appearances for Villarreal.

Explaining Pepe’s exclusion, Fae said, “The absence of Nicolas Pépé is not at all a sporting sanction. If we were going strictly by sporting criteria, he would be with us.”

The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations has been scheduled to take place in Morocco between December 2025 and January 2026, with 24 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy.

Below is the squad:

Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey), Mohamed Koné (Charleroi SC, Belgium), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos, Greece)

Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Boly Willy (Nottingham Forest, England), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP, Portugal), Guela Doué (RC Strasbourg, France), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente, Portugal), Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta BC, Italy), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma, Italy), Christopher Operi (Istanbul Başakşehir, Turkey), Armel Zohouri (FC Iberia 1999, Georgia)

Midfielders: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais, France), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (FC Metz, France), Christ Inao Oulaï (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Franck Kessié (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest, England), Jean-Michael Seri (NK Maribor, Slovenia)

Forwards: Vakoun Bayo (Udinese Calcio, Italy), Oumar Diakité (Cercle Brugge, Belgium), Amad Diallo (Manchester United, England), Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig, Germany), Sébastien Haller (FC Utrecht, Netherlands), Jean-Philippe Krasso (Paris FC, France), Bazoumana Touré (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Germany), Wilfried Zaha (Charlotte FC, USA)

Standby: Guessand Evann (Aston Villa, England), Guiagon Parfait (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium)