An Ivorian striker left out of Hervé Renard’s squad for the upcoming training camp of the Ivory Coast Elephants

Nicolas Pépé is not expected to take part in the Ivory Coast national team’s opening matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Ivory Coast Elephants will be in camp between September and October. However, according to Ivorian journalist Malick Traoré, Nicolas Pépé will be absent from this training camp. He claims that, contrary to reports that had circulated, no discussions took place between the Villarreal striker and manager Hervé Renard.

The player will therefore miss Ivory Coast’s first two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, as well as the friendly between Cameroon and Ivory Coast scheduled for 3 October in Abidjan. As yet, no reason has been given to explain Nicolas Pépé’s possible absence.

However, this brings to mind a previous incident involving the Ivorian striker and the national team. Nicolas Pépé was dropped from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco following comments he made in a podcast. The former Arsenal player subsequently regained the coaching staff’s trust and took part in the 2026 World Cup with the Ivory Coast.