Wilfried Zaha to Lead the Line for Ivory Coast in Friendlies against Morocco and South Africa

• Wilfried Zaha is in good form for his club after scoring in the UEFA Champions League
• Bafana Bafana have called up goalscoring English Premier League ace, Lyle Foster
• International break matches will be played in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers in November

Club shirts are getting folded up as league action makes way for international duty.

Ivory Coast have named a talented squad with recognisable names to face two different African teams.

Morocco are the top-ranked team in Africa, while South Africa sit 13th on the continent, with both matches being useful engagements before the business of the 2026 World Cup qualification begins.

Ivorian players have been in good form for their clubs, and coach Jean-Louis Gasset will hope that that translates into international performances.

One such player is Wilfried Zaha, who has had new life breathed into his career since joining Galatasaray.

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Zaha has made four appearances for Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig, scoring one goal. His highlight so far this season was his goal at Old Trafford against his former club Manchester United, as reported by TalkSport.

Things are less rosy in the dugout, however. Gasset has had questions raised about his suitability to lead The Elephants, as highlighted by Sports News Africa after a 3-0 loss to Zambia in June.

Gasset has been accused of not having the ability to beat the bigger teams on the continent.

The majority of Gasset’s wins have come against lower-ranked teams, with their only win over a team that has qualified for the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) being a 3-1 win over Guinea last September.

Since then, Gasset’s men have lost to Burkina Faso and, most recently, Zambia. Ivory Coast's most notable wins have come against Lesotho, Comores, and Burundi.

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Both Morroco and South Africa have qualified for the AFCON, which will be hosted in Ivory Coast in January, and the fixtures will be a welcome test of Ivorian fortitude before World Cup qualifying.

Bafana Bafana name strong squad

Sports Brief recently reported on the Bafana Bafana squad selected by Hugo Broos for their international window.

Hugo Broos has named a 23-man squad and the tactician confirmed that Thapelo Morena, Bathusi Aubaas, and Innocent Maela will not be part of the matches due to injuries.

As well as Ivory Coast on October 17, Bafana Bafana will take on Eswatini on October 13.