Ivory Coast Coach on Pépé's Exclusion: "We Must Consider Many Things, Both On and Off the Pitch!"

Emerse Faé, the coach of the Ivory Coast national team, spoke during a press conference held today, Tuesday, to announce the "Elephants'" squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, addressing the reason behind Nicolas Pépé's exclusion.

Faé stated: "To say it's a punishment is a bit of a strong word. He made a media appearance in recent days, and what I can confirm is that it is not a sporting sanction."

He added: "If it were solely about the sporting aspect, he would undoubtedly be with us. However, preparing the squad requires considering several elements, both on and off the pitch. All these elements led to Nico being left out of the list, but it is not a punitive decision from a sporting perspective."

Pépé was excluded from the squad despite being a key player for his Spanish club Villarreal. This decision came due to his recent media appearance, during which he "mocked" the Moroccan national team.