Ivory Coast's manager has explained why he left high-profile winger Wilfried Zaha out of his latest international selection.
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The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions will be without the Galatasaray winger once again when they take on Gabon and Kenya in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June.
Zaha, formerly of Crystal Palace, was also absent from the Elephants' list when they hosted the AFCON in January and February, and head coach Emerse Fae has since revealed that he visited Zaha in Turkey to discuss his international future.
"We travelled to Turkey to meet Wilfried, smooth things over, and present to him the new project we have with the staff. He listened, and the meeting went very well," he said, according to pulse sports.
"Zaha himself admitted that he is currently in a project that did not suit him and that he wanted to wait until the summer transfer window."
Fae also said that Zaha was forthcoming regarding his underwhelming performances for Ivory Coast, which resulted in his absence from their latest AFCON squad.
"He opened up and expressed what he liked and what prevented him from performing on the pitch as he does in Europe," the tactician continued.
"We were clear with him too. We told him what we expected of him, which had not been the case until now, and the reasons why he had not been selected in the group that should represent Ivory Coast at the AFCON.
"The criteria are the same for all players: you have to perform well at the club and deserve your selection.
"Finally, Wilfried Zaha himself admitted that he is today in a project that did not suit him, and that he wanted to wait until the summer transfer window to find a new project and come and regain his place in the selection."
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Zaha has made 31 appearances for the Elephants since his debut in 2017, contributing to 10 goals along the way.
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