AFCON 2025: Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) aims for a new title in Morocco
The 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) officially kicked off on Sunday, December 21, 2025, in Morocco, where the host nation won its opening match 2-0 against Comoros.
AFCON brings together the best national teams on the continent, and Côte d’Ivoire, reigning champion after their victory in Abidjan in February 2024, enters this new edition with a clear goal: to defend their title and reaffirm their status among Africa’s football powerhouses.
AFCON 2025: The Elephants Squad
The Ivorian Elephants will begin their AFCON 2025 campaign on December 24, 2025, against Mozambique at the Grand Stade de Marrakech, with kick-off at 17:30 (Ivory Coast time) / 18:30 (UK time) / 12:30 (New York time).
Winners of the previous edition held in Abidjan, with a memorable 2-1 victory over Nigeria at the Stade Alassane Ouattara, the Ivorian team enters this tournament with high ambitions.
For AFCON 2025, Côte d’Ivoire competes in Group F under coach Emerse Faé, with Franck Kessié serving as captain of the Elephants.
Official List of Côte d’Ivoire Players for AFCON 2025
The African Football Confederation has published the official list of Côte d’Ivoire players selected for AFCON 2025.
| Shirt No. | Name | Shirt | Position | Date birth | Club (Country) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yahia Fofana | YAHIA | GK | 21.08.2000 | Çaykur Rizespor Kulübü (Turkey) |
| 2 | Ousmane Diomande | D.OUSMANE | DF | 04.12.2003 | Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal) |
| 3 | N’Clomande Ghislain Konan | GHISLAIN | DF | 27.12.1995 | Gil Vicente F.C (Portugal) |
| 4 | Jean Michael Seri | SERI MICHAEL | MF | 19.07.1991 | NK Maribor (Slovenia) |
| 5 | Armel Junior Zohouri | ZOHOURI | DF | 05.04.2001 | Iberia 1999 (Georgia) |
| 6 | Seko Mohamed Fofana | SEKO | MF | 07.05.1995 | Stade Rennais (France) |
| 7 | Kouakou Odilon Dorgeless Kossounou | KOSSONOU | DF | 04.01.2001 | Atalanta Bergame (Italy) |
| 8 | Franck Yannick Kessie | F.KESSIE | MF | 19.12.1996 | Al Ahly Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) |
| 9 | Vakoun Issouf Bayo | BAYO | FW | 10.01.1997 | Udinese (Italy) |
| 10 | Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha | ZAHA | FW | 10.11.1992 | Charlotte (USA) |
| 11 | Jean Philippe Nils Stephan Krasso | KRASSO | FW | 17.07.1997 | Paris FC (France) |
| 12 | Willy‑Arnaud Zobo Boly | BOLY | DF | 03.02.1991 | Nottingham Forest (UK) |
| 13 | Operi Christopher Téa Domoraud | OPERI | DF | 29.04.1997 | Istanbul Başakşehir FK (Turkey) |
| 14 | Oumar Diakité | OUMAR | MF | 20.12.2003 | Cercle Brugge (Belgium) |
| 15 | Amad Diallo | AMAD | MF | 11.07.2002 | Manchester United (UK) |
| 16 | Mohamed Koné | KONE | GK | 07.03.2002 | Sporting de Charleroi (Belgium) |
| 17 | Guela Maho Lewis Doué | DOUE | DF | 17.10.2002 | Strasbourg SC (France) |
| 18 | Ibrahim Sangaré | I.SANGARE | MF | 02.12.1997 | Nottingham Forest (UK) |
| 19 | Christ Ravynel Inao Oulaï | C.INAO OULAI | FW | 06.04.2006 | Trabzonspor (Turkey) |
| 20 | Badobre Emmanuel Elysée Djédjé Agbadou | AGBADOU | DF | 17.06.1997 | Wolverhampton F.C. (UK) |
| 21 | Obite Evan Ndicka | NDICKA | DF | 20.08.1999 | AS Roma (Italy) |
| 22 | Sébastien Romain Teddy Haller | S.HALLER | FW | 22.06.1994 | Borussia Dortmund (Germany) |
| 23 | Alban Marc Lafont | ALBAN | GK | 23.01.1999 | Panathinaikos F.C (Greece) |
| 24 | Bazoumana Touré | B.TOURE | FW | 02.03.2006 | TSG Hoffenheim (Germany) |
| 25 | Jean‑Philippe Gbamin | GBAMIN | DF | 25.09.1995 | FC Metz (France) |
| 26 | Yan Diomande | Y.DIOMANDE | MF | 14.11.2006 | RB Leipzig (Germany) |
Sébastien Haller, a standout player from AFCON 2024, has been forced to withdraw due to an injury sustained on December 14, 2025, during a club match with FC Utrecht. Evan Guessand has been called up to strengthen the Elephants’ squad in his place.
AFCON 2025: Groups and Teams to Watch
On Friday, December 19, the African Football Confederation released the official player lists for the 24 teams competing in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025.
These rosters may still change due to injuries or last-minute updates, so they are not final.
Group A
Comoros, Mali, Morocco, Zambia
Group B
Angola, Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Group C
Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda
Group D
Benin, Botswana, DR Congo, Senegal
Group E
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
Group F
Cameroon, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique
Where to Watch AFCON 2025
All matches of AFCON 2025 will be broadcast live on beIN Sports, bringing you the best of African football action.
👉 For a deeper dive into the culture and highlights of Côte d’Ivoire, don’t miss our article: 10 Interesting Facts About Côte d’Ivoire.
