History for Big Pete 65

Ivory Coast or the Ukraine?
Which team will be tougher for the All Whites come June?
I rank Ivory Coast as the tougher proposition if they pick a strong side.

Ivory Coast are the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions.
Beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final in February 2024.
It will be cool for Chris Wood if he plays, coming up against his Forest team mates Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangaré.
Also for Liberato Cacace with his Empoli team mate, striker Christian Kouamé (30 caps) in contention.
Seb Haller (Dortmund, on loan at Utrecht) can be an absolute monster goal-scorer when fit. 
 

The following players were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Burundi and Gambia on 21 and 25 March 2025, respectively.
Caps and goals updated as of 25 March 2025, after the match against Gambia.

Pos.  Player                      Date of birth (age)  Caps  Goals         Club |
GK Badra Ali Sangaré | 30 May 1986 (age 38) | 29 | 0 |

Sekhukhune United
| GK Yahia Fofana | 21 August 2000 (age 24) | 25 | 0 |

Angers
| GK Mohamed Koné | 7 March 2002 (age 23) | 0 | 0 |

Charleroi

| DF Wilfried Singo | 25 December 2000 (age 24) | 29 | 0 |

Monaco
| DF Willy Boly | 3 February 1991 (age 34) | 21 | 1 |

Nottingham Forest
| DF Emmanuel Agbadou | 7 June 1997 (age 27) | 13 | 1 |

Wolverhampton Wanderers
| DF Hassane Kamara | 5 March 1994 (age 31) | 11 | 0 |

Udinese
| DF Ousmane Diomande | 4 December 2003 (age 21) | 9 | 0 |

Sporting CP
| DF Guéla Doué | 17 October 2002 (age 22) | 8 | 1 |

Strasbourg
| DF Clément Akpa | 24 November 2001 (age 23) | 2 | 0 |

Auxerre

| MF Franck Kessié | 19 December 1996 (age 28) | 86 | 12 |

Al-Ahli
| MF Ibrahim Sangaré | 2 December 1997 (age 27) | 43 | 11 |

Nottingham Forest
| MF Jean-Philippe Gbamin | 25 September 1995 (age 29) | 18 | 0 |

Zürich
| MF Jean-Eudes Aholou | 20 March 1994 (age 31) | 7 | 0 |

Angers
| MF Mohamed Diomande | 30 October 2001 (age 23) | 6 | 0 |

Rangers

| FW Nicolas Pépé | 29 May 1995 (age 29) | 45 | 11 |

Villarreal
| FW Sébastien Haller | 22 June 1994 (age 30) | 29 | 11 |

Utrecht
| FW Jean-Philippe Krasso | 17 July 1997 (age 27) | 24 | 7 |

Paris FC
| FW Oumar Diakité | 20 December 2003 (age 21) | 21 | 5 |

Reims
| FW Simon Adingra | 1 January 2002 (age 23) | 20 | 3 |

Brighton & Hove Albion
| FW Evann Guessand | 1 July 2001 (age 23) | 8 | 1 |

Nice
| FW Vakoun Issouf Bayo | 10 January 1997 (age 28) | 5 | 1 |

Watford 
 
                              _________________________________________
Other contenders:
Diallo - Manchester United
Odilon Kossounou - Atalanta, Serie A
Eric Bailly   - Villareal, la Liga (ex Man Utd)
Evan Ndicka  - Roma, Serie A