In preparation for the clash against Guinea-Bissau in the opening match of the 34th edition of the CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2023, hosts Cote d'Ivoire held its official training session on Friday evening.
The final training session for the Elephants took place on Friday night, setting the stage for the opening match on Saturday at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe.
The session, held at the Training Stadium of the Technical High School of Cocody, saw the participation of all 27 players selected by coach Jean-Louis Gasset for the tournament.
Conducted in a relaxed atmosphere, the initial 15 minutes allocated to the press witnessed Gasset and his staff refraining from revealing tactical line-ups to avoid disclosing the planned strategy against the Djurtus.
The team engaged in light warm-ups and a few coordination exercises with the ball.
However, Sebastien Haller and Simon Adingra did not partake in these collective exercises. The Dortmund striker jogged around the field, while the young Brighton talent opted for faster sprints on one half of the pitch.
Prior to joining the squad for the preparatory stage of the 34th TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d'Ivoire 2023, both players had experienced minor discomfort in their respective club commitments.
Although ruled out for the opening encounter against Guinea-Bissau, Jean-Louis Gasset is expected to regain their services for the second match scheduled on Thursday, January 18, against Nigeria.
"Between the first two matches, we will have five days. The two players have resumed training, and we will see how they react. I am optimistic about them," stated the French tactician during the pre-match press conference earlier in the day.
The kick-off for Ivory Coast vs. Guinea-Bissau is scheduled for 8:00 PM GMT at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe, boasting a capacity of 60,000 seats.
