ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — After two years away from the national team, Wilfried Zaha was recalled Tuesday by Ivory Coast to help defend its Africa Cup of Nations title at the tournament starting this month.
Zaha, 33, who played in Major League Soccer for Charlotte this year on loan from Galatasaray, was included in the 26-player squad by coach Emers Fae. The team also includes Yann Diomande from Leipzig and Amad Diallo from Manchester United.
Ivory Coast is in a group with Mozambique, Cameroon and Gabon for the tournament, which runs from December 21 to January 18 in Morocco.
Zaha, a long-time Crystal Palace striker, has appeared in three AFCON tournaments but was not selected as host for the previous tournament in 2024.
Ivory Coast then sacked coach Jean-Louis Gassée after failures in the group stage, and his assistant Fae was appointed to guide the team through a stunning knockout stage to the title.
Fae did not recall Zaha for subsequent World Cup qualifiers, but Ivory Coast still won their group and qualified for the following year's tournament in North America.
Zaha played 33 times for Ivory Coast and scored five goals. He was born in the Ivory Coast capital Abidjan, grew up in London and played two friendly matches for England before being given permission by FIFA to change his eligibility for the national team.
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