ABIDJAN, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The Ivory Coast named their injured captain Didier Drogba in a preliminary squad of 26 for next month's African Nations Cup.
Drogba, who underwent knee surgery on Saturday, was included in a list compiled by coach Uli Stielike and released by the Ivorian Football Federation.
The Chelsea striker's club manager Avram Grant said on
Monday he expected Drogba to be out for three weeks, which
would allow him to make the Nations Cup finals starting on Jan.
20 in Ghana.
Drogba is one of 17 players retained from the 23-man
Ivorian squad that finished runners-up at the last Nations Cup
tournament in Egypt in early 2006.
Goalkeeper Tiassa Kone from new Ivory Coast champions
Africa Sports is the only home-based player in the squad. He is
also the only uncapped player.
The Ivory Coast play in Group B in Sekondi with Nigeria,
Mali and Benin, at the tournament which runs through to Feb.
10.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren, Belgium), Tiasse Kone
(Africa Sports), Stephan Loboue (SpVgg Greuther Furth, Germany)
Defenders: Athur Boka (VfB Stuttgart, Germany), Guy Demel
(Hamburg SV, Germany), Constant Djakpa (Pandurii Targu Jiu,
Romania), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal, England), Steve Gohouri
(Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Abdoulaye Meite (Bolton
Wanderers, England), Kolo Toure (Arsenal, England), Marc Zoro
(Benfica, Portugal)
Midfielders: Emerse Fae (Reading, England), Christian Koffi
Ndri (Le Mans, France), Siaka Tiene (St Etienne, France),
Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Gneri Yaya
Toure (Barcelona, Spain), Didier Zokora (Tottenham Hotspur,
England)
Forwards: Aruna Dindane (Racing Lens, France), Amara Diane
(Paris St Germain, France), Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou (both
Chelsea, England), Abdelkader Keita (Olympique Lyon, France),
Arouna Kone (Sevilla, Spain), Bakary Kone (Nice, France),
Gervais Yao Kouassi (Le Mans, France), Boubacar Sanogo (Werder
Bremen, Germany).
