Zaha adds excitement to Cranes-Ivory Coast clash

Kampala. Ivory Coast forward Gervinho will not represent his country at the Nations Cup finals in Gabon due to injury but the African champions will welcome new blood in Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.
Zaha, early this week, switched his international allegiance from England to Ivory Coast and is now eligible to play for the Elephants at next month’s Afcon finals.
He is expected to be in the squad for the Elephants camp in Abu Dhabi, where Ivory Coast will play a friendly against Uganda on January 11, and Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic believes the 24-year-old’s addition adds a spark to the match.

“Ivory Coast is made of great individuals that are using quality and working as a team,” Micho told Daily Monitor yesterday, “So that addition of Zaha is pure injection of quality and will make this an exciting match.”
Zaha, the former Manchester United player’s switch to Ivory Coast, was made possible by the fact that his two England caps came only in friendlies - against Sweden in 2012 and Scotland the following year. The player was born in Abidjan but grew up in England.

Micho, whose side will play five matches in camps in Tunisia, one of the countries neighbouruing Gabon, Dubai and Abu Dhabi ahead of Afcon finals, says the encounter with Ivory Coast will tell the true picture before the Nations Cup opener against Ghana.
“One such match has value and means like 15 training sessions as no training can replace situation that match can offer,” explained the Serbian.

“It will be the last friendly match, six days ahead of Afcon finals that will answer us where we are at that time so that we can polish shortcomings and upgrade ourselves ahead of return to Afcon after 39 years.” Micho on Wednesday summoned a 40-man squad to begin residential training in a fortnight’s time.
The Cranes open their Afcon finals campaign on January 17 against Ghana. Egypt and Mali are the other teams in Group D.

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January 11, 2017
Ivory Coast vs Uganda

Cranes preparations
Dec 10-18: Rest and Caf medical check-ups
Dec 19-24: Residential training at home. Two-three sessions per day
Dec 26-27: Resume training
Dec 28-31: Three-day training camp in a country neighbouring Gabon, including a friendly
Jan 1-4: Camp in Tunisia including friendlies against hosts, and possibly, Libya
Jan 5-10: Camp in Dubai. Possible friendlies with a European side and W. African opponent
Jan 11: Friendly against Ivory Coast in Abu Dhabi
Jan 13: Travel to Port Gentil, Gabon – via Addis Ababa
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