Ivory Coast's Pepe gets belated chance for World Cup audition

Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Senegal v Ivory Coast - Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast - January 29, 2024 Ivory Coast's Nicolas Pepe celebrates after he scores a penalty during the shoot-out REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Ivory Coast striker Nicolas Pepe has won a recall to the national squad after injury ruled out teenage striker Yann Diomande from this month’s World Cup warm-up matches.

Pepe had been left out of the initial squad for friendlies against South Korea in Milton Keynes, England on Saturday and Scotland in Liverpool on March 31.

The 30-year-old was also omitted from the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco at the turn of the year where the Ivorians were defending their title but were eliminated at the quarter-final stage.

The French-born former Arsenal striker, who has scored five LaLiga goals for Villarreal this season, won the last of his 50 caps for the Elephants in October but sparked controversy soon after for comments made in a YouTube video about Morocco’s poor record at the Cup of Nations.

He apologised but said he had been subjected to racial abuse online and accused the Ivorian federation of not supporting him.

Ivory Coast are in World Cup Group E with Ecuador, Germany and Curacao.