Ivory Coast are one of 13 nations to have represented Africa at the World Cup.
Les Elephants‘ three appearances all came within an eight-year period from 2006 and 2014. Their trips to Germany, South Africa and Brazil didn’t bring too much success. But they were a nation full of icons.
The most iconic, perhaps, was the squad of the 2006 World Cup. Ivory Coast were given a tough group, placed alongside Argentina, the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro. They lost to both Argentina and the Netherlands, being sealing a first-ever World Cup win in their final group game against Serbia and Montenegro.
But what has happened to the members of their squad since? We’ve looked at the careers of all 23 players.
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Jean-Jacques Tizie
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Age: 52
Jean-Jacques Tizie was Ivory Coast’s first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup, starting two of the three games. Those would be some of his final appearances for the nation, with Tizie coming towards the end of his career. The goalkeeper was 33 at the start of the World Cup, the second-oldest player in Ivory Coast’s squad.
Tizie called time on his career in 2007, spending one final season with Africa Sports in Ivory Coast — having been at Esperance de Tunis for six years prior. It was at Esperance de Tunis where Tizie made the news for a bizarre injury, losing a testicle after a collission with an opposition player. Tizie has spent time working for the Ivorian Football Federation.
Kanga Akale
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 44
Kanga Akale started two of Ivory Coast’s three games at the World Cup, forming part of the attack. He wasn’t really a potent attacking player, though, scoring just three goals in his international career. Akale represented Ivory Coast for another few years, though he wasn’t in their squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations or the 2010 World Cup.
Akale spent a decent chunk of his playing career in France, switching Auxerre for Lens in the summer of 2007. He also had a loan spell with Marseille. Akale left Lens in 2011 and had spells in Qatar and Greece, and another return to France, before retiring in 2013.
Arthur Boka
- Position: Defender
- Age: 42
Arthur Boka was Ivory Coast’s starting left-back at the World Cup, playing every minute of their three matches. It’s a role he held onto for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. Boka was also part of Ivory Coast’s 2010 and 2014 World Cup squads, being a squad player for the former and starter at the latter. He played 82 times for Ivory Coast in total, hanging up his international boots in 2015.
Boka was playing for Strasbourg before the World Cup but stayed in Germany after the tournament, joining Stuttgart. And he won the Bundesliga title in his first season. Boka stayed at Stuttgart for eight years, eventually joining Malaga, then Sion, before retiring in 2017. Boka is now an ambassador for a wealth management firm.
Kolo Toure
- Position: Defender
- Age: 44
This is a man who needs no introduction. Kolo Toure will go down as one of Ivory Coast’s most important players in history. Only one player has made more appearances for Les Elephants than Toure’s 121. Toure played in the first two games at the World Cup for Ivory Coast, before being rotated for the final match — with his team already out. He went on to represent his country at both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, though he was more of a rotational player at the latter. Toure was part of the Ivory Coast team to win Afcon in 2015.
Toure was midway through his time at Arsenal during the 2006 World Cup, and he spent three more years at the club before moving to Man City. The Ivorian won the Premier League with the Citizens, leaving after four years. Three more years with Liverpool followed, and a season with Celtic, before Toure retired. He is now back at Man City as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager, after a very brief spell as Wigan Athletic boss.
Didier Zokora
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 44
Didier Zokora is Ivory Coast’s record appearance-maker, with two more caps than Kolo Toure. Zokora played every minute for Ivory Coast at the World Cup and was an indispensable part of the team for years. He represented them at six Afcons in total and two more World Cups, though the end of his international career sadly came before their 2015 Afcon triumph.
Zokora was plying his trade at Saint-Etienne before the World Cup but joined Tottenham Hotspur shortly after. He was part of the Tottenham team to win the EFL Cup in 2008, starting in the final. Zokora left Tottenham for Sevilla in 2009 and won another trophy in Spain, this time the Copa del Rey. The midfielder then spent three years with Trabzonspor in Turkey, before playing in India and Indonesia prior to his retirement in 2017. Zokora is currently involved with the Ivorian national team, but has expressed his desire to scout for Saint-Etienne.
Blaise Kouassi
- Position: Defender
- Age: 50
Blaise Kouassi only made one appearance for Ivory Coast at the 2006 World Cup, in their final group game. That would be his 37th and final cap for his country in a career that saw him also play at two Africa Cup of Nations — being a losing finalist in 2006.
As you might expected, Kouassi was towards the end of his playing career in 2006, retiring three years later in France. He has spent time as assistant manager for Ivory Coast.
Emerse Fae
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 41
Emerse Fae was the youngest player of Ivory Coast’s 2006 World Cup squad, aged just 22. It was clearly all about the experience for Fae as he didn’t come off the bench in Germany. And sadly, he didn’t get called up for their squad in 2010. Although, he was a big part of the Afcon squad earlier in 2006. Fae ended his career in 2012, aged 28, due to phlebitis.
He spent most of his playing career in France, but did have a short stay with Reading in England, making just 11 appearances. Fae eventually turned to management before entering the Ivory Coast setup in 2022. There he has risen through the ranks and is now Ivory Coast manager, leading them back to the World Cup for 2026. What a story!
Bonaventure Kalou
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 47
Bonaventure Kalou started in Ivory Coast’s opening game against Argentina, and then came off the bench to score in the final match vs Serbia and Montenegro. But those would end up being his final appearances for Ivory Coast — racking up 51 caps in total. It’s an amount he would see eventually usurped by younger brother, Salomon Kalou.
Kalou was playing for PSG at the time of the World Cup, but left shortly after. After a handful of appearances for Lens, Kalou then moved to the United Arab Emirates. He retired in 2010 with Heerenveen, and has served as mayor of Ivorian city Vavoua.
Arouna Kone
- Position: Forward
- Age: 42
Talk about your blasts from the past. Arouna Kone started the opening game of the 2006 World Cup on the bench, but came into the XI for the next two matches. He was a utility man of the front line, able to play anywhere. It’s an availability that helped Kone reach 39 caps for Ivory Coast — he sadly missed the 2010 World Cup due to injury.
Kone represented a lot of clubs during his career, joining PSV permanently after the World Cup. He went on to play in Spain, Germany, England, Turkey and Belgium — with one season at Wigan Athletic before four with Everton. He only retired in 2023, aged 39.
Gilles Yapi Yapo
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 43
Gilles Yapi Yapo was another squad man at the 2006 World Cup, only making a substitute appearance in Ivory Coast’s second group game. He wouldn’t get a call up for another major tournament, with 2006 really being his final good year at international level.
But Yapi had a long club career. After a loan spell with BSC Young Boys before the World Cup, Yapi made his move permanent in the summer of 2006. He spent four years there, before making the move to Basel. There, Yapi won three league titles and a Swiss Cup in three years. After a year in Dubai, Yapi returned to Switzerland, before eventually retiring in 2019. Yapi remains in Switzlerand, currently managing lower league side FC Solothurn.
Didier Drogba
- Position: Forward
- Age: 47
The Ivorian captain was a man by the name of Didier Drogba, who had the honour of scoring the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal. It couldn’t have been anyone but him. Drogba is an Ivory Coast legend, and their record goalscorer, netting 65 goals across 105 caps. He played at eight major tournaments for Ivory Coast, hanging up his boots after the 2014 World Cup.
Drogba had just finished his second season at Chelsea in 2006 and stay with the Blues until 2012, winning all there was to win. He returned two years later to win another couple of trophies, after spells with Shanghai Shenhua and Galatasaray. Drogba retired in 2018 after a spell in MLS and lower American leagues. Drogba’s post-football career is known by many, with the legendary striker continuing to look for ways to improve football in Africa. And we can’t not talk about him unifying a country that was in civil war prior to the 2006 World Cup.
Abdoulaye Meite
- Position: Defender
- Age: 45
Abdoulaye Meite was Kolo Toure’s centre-back partner at the World Cup, starting the first two games. But that would be Meite’s only World Cup, as he did not make their 2010 squad. Meite did represent Ivory Coast at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, while also being an unused substitute in the 2010 tournament.
Meite had spent six years at Marseille before the World Cup, but joined Bolton Wanderers shortly after. The defender spent five years in England during his first spell, two at Bolton and then three with West Bromwich Albion, making 84 Premier League appearances. Meite then started a bit of a world tour. He played in France, Finland, England (again), Greece, Scotland, Finland (again) and Andorra before retiring. Meite also had a spell for Welsh club Newport County, in the English system.
Marco Zoro
- Position: Defender
- Age: 41
Marco Zoro did not make an appearance at the 2006 World Cup, remaining on the bench for Ivory Coast’s three matches. It was a role he played a few times at major tournaments for Ivory Coast, with just a handful of appearances at various Africa Cup of Nations. But he did score his only international goal at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Zoro had been playing in Italy at the time of the World Cup, but left Messina Peloro for Benfica in 2007. He spent four years with the club but wasn’t really a starter, spending time on loan. Zoro left Benfica permanently in 2011, which started a run of three clubs in two years, across Romania, France and Greece. He finally found a home in Greece, spending the rest of his career there across three clubs, before retiring in 2017.
Bakari Kone
- Position: Forward
- Age: 44
Bakari Kone is the older brother of Arouna Kone, and did one better than his sibling, scoring against the Netherlands. It was one of nine goals Bakari Kone managed for the Ivory Coast across 42 caps. That includes goals at two different Afcons. Kone was named in Ivory Coast’s preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup but did not make the final cut.
Kone was representing Nice at the time of the World Cup, as part of a seven-year stay in France. He left for Marseille in 2008, and won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de la Ligue in 2009-10 — though he wasn’t a regular starter. Kone left Marseille after that season and spent four years in Qatar, and another year in the UAE. He retired in France, after a short spell with Paris FC.
Aruna Dindane
- Position: Forward
- Age: 44
The cult hero names just keep coming. Aruna Dindane only started the final group game, but he ended as Ivory Coast’s top scorer at the 2006 World Cup with two goals against Serbia and Montenegro. Dindane also represented Ivory Coast at the 2010 World Cup, this time more as a starter — having also started at Afcon in 2008. He played his final Ivory Coast game in 2010, ending his international career with 18 goals in 64 games.
Dindane was plying his trade with Lens at the time of the World Cup, and stayed with the club until 2009 — when he was loaned to Portsmoth. His performances at Pompey earned Dindane a recall for the 2010 World Cup, scoring 10 goals in 24 games to help his side reach the FA Cup final despite their relegation. But they couldn’t make his loan move permanent. Dindane left Lens after the 2010 World Cup, spending three years in Qatar before returning to England, this time for a year at Crystal Palace with no appearances. Dindane retired in 2014 and has since had a role at the Ivorian Footballers’ Association.
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Gerard Gnanhouan
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Age: 46
Gerard Gnanhouan was one of Ivory Coasts’ three goalkeeping options at the World Cup, though he didn’t make an appearance. He was unfortunate to be batting with two top-quality options, and made just 10 caps for his country overall.
Gnanhouan spent all of his professional career in France, and had actually played for them at under-18 level, before switching to the country of his birth. He left Montpellier shortly after the World Cup, and spent a lot of his career in France’s lower leagues. Gnanhouan retired in 2016, and is currently Ivory Coast’s goalkeeping coach.
Cyril Domoraud
- Position: Defender
- Age: 54
Cyril Domoraud’s career was coming to an end at the 2006 World Cup. He was the oldest player in Ivory Coast’s squad and only played in their final group game. His final match for his nation didn’t end as planned, though. Domoraud was sent off in the closing stages of Ivory Coast’s 3-2 win over Serbia and Montenegro, for two yellow cards. He did captain Les Elephants, which was a nice touch.
Domoraud retired from football two years later, ending his career in Ivory Coast. He has since had a spell as assistant manager of Ivory Coast, during Sven-Goran Eriksson’s time in charge.
Abdul Kader Keita
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 44
Abdul Kader Keita played in two of Ivory Coast’s games at the World Cup, forming their first-choice attacking line. He even provided an assist in the final group match. Keita had a lot more success in an Ivory Coast shirt at Afcon in 2008, scoring three goals and providing two assists. The winger was also involved in Ivory Coast’s 2010 World Cup squad, though he was more of a rotational player by then. But he still hit the headlines for overreacting to a collision with Kaka, which saw the Brazilian get sent off for a second yellow card. It probably still isn’t safe for Keita to show his face in Brazil.
Keita played his club football until 2015, and had an interesting journey. He was plying his trade with Lille at the time of the World Cup, and switched to Lyon a year later. Keita was part of the Lyon side to win the league and cup double in 2007-08, playing 72 times for Les Doges. He then left for Galatasaray, spendint a year with the Turkish club before returning to former side Al-Sadd in Qatar. Keita retired in 2015 after spells in Hungary and Indonesia.
Yaya Toure
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 42
Yaya Toure hadn’t been a mainstay in the Ivorian midfield for long. But 2006 was just the start of a long career. The midfielder played every minute at the 2006 World Cup, repeating the feat in 2010 and 2014. He represented 101 times across 11 years and was part of the team to win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, captaining Les Elephants to their highly-anticipated success.
Toure moved from Olympiacos to Monaco after the 2006 World Cup but he didn’t stay in France long. The midfielder was quickly snapped up by Barcelona, where he made a name for himself as one of the best midfielders in the world — winning the Champions League. Toure then spent eight years with Man City, winning everything domestically. He retired in 2020, after returning to Olympiacos and having a spell in China. Toure is now assistant manager of Saudi Arabia, initially linking up with former Man City boss Roberto Mancini.
Guy Demel
- Position: Defender
- Age: 44
Guy Demel was an unused substitute at the World Cup, having only played one of Ivory Coast’s six games at Afcon earlier in the year. The right-back did become more of a regular feature as his international career went on, so he played twice at Afcon and the World Cup in 2010. But he still only racked up 31 appearances for Ivory Coast.
Demel was already stationed in Germany at the time of the World Cup, first joining Borussia Dortmund from Arsenal in 2001 before moving to Hamburg in 2005. He spent six years in Hamburg, winning two Intertoto Cups and reaching 200 appearances. Demel left Hamburg in 2011, returning to the Premier League, this time with West Ham. He spent four years in east London, being a regular in the side, before moving north of the border to Dundee United. Demel retired in 2017 after a year in France, and is now Ivory Coast’s assistant manager.
Emmanuel Eboue
- Position: Defender
- Age: 42
Emmanuel Eboue was the reason Demel didn’t play at the World Cup, being Ivory Coast’s starting right-back. It’s a role he held for a long time, though Eboue was moved into midfield for the 2010 World Cup — before returning to right-back. Eboue ended his international career with 79 caps for Ivory Coast.
Eboue was already at Arsenal by the 2006 World Cup, joining in January 2005. He spent six years with the club, winning the FA Cup in his first season. But he left in 2011 without adding any more trophies to his cabinet. He came under a lot of criticism at times during his career, but remained close to the hearts of Arsenal fans for his love for the club. Eboue left Arsenal for Galatasaray, winning two Turkish league titles and the Turkish Cup, before returning to England with Sunderland. He retired in 2016 and has had his struggles off the pitch. But Eboue was recently part of the team managing the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Romaric
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 42
Romaric only played one game at the 2006 World Cup, having the curse of being part of a squad stacked with talent in his position. He did play in all three games at the 2010 World Cup, though only one was as a starter. Romaric played 44 times for Ivory Coast in total, scoring four goals.
Romaric was playing for French club Le Mans at the time of the 2006 World Cup, but later moved to Sevilla. He spent four years with the club in total, though that did include a loan spell with Espanyol to end his stay. But he was still part of the Sevilla side to win the Copa del Rey, alongside compatriot Didier Zokora. Romaric returned to France with Bastia, also playing in Cyprus and India before retiring. He has since moved into management in the Ivorian leagues.
Boubacar Barry
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Age: 45
Boubacar Barry — also known as Copa — hadn’t played too many games by the 2006 World Cup. But he did play their final group game in Germany, the start of a long run as Ivorian No.1. Barry became an iconic part of the Ivorian backline, representing his nation at five more Africa Cup of Nations and two World Cups. He was also part of the Ivorian team to win Afcon in 2015, though he was backup until the final after Sylvain Gbohouo suffered an injury. Barry saved two penalties and scored the winner in the final shootout. What a story!
Barry joined LSC Lokeren from KSK Beveren in 2007 and spent 10 years at the former, becoming a mainstay in the club. He won two Belgian Cups during that time. Barry retired in Belgium, after two years at OH Leuven. He remains in Belgium now, as goalkeeping coach at Lokeren — having fulfilled the same role at OH Leuven and in Gent’s youth system.