Participation with Ivory Coast
©IMAGO
RB Leipzig’s season discovery Yan Diomande has been named to Germany’s World Cup opponents Ivory Coast’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. The continental tournament starts on December 21st, and the obligation to deploy professionals begins on December 15th. This means that the last RB game of the year in the Bundesliga on December 20th (6:30 p.m./Sky) against Bayer Leverkusen will take place without the right winger, as the Saxons announced.
How many games the 19-year-old dribbling artist will miss depends on how the tournament goes. Ivory Coast will play in the preliminary round against Mozambique on December 24th, against Cameroon on December 28th and against Gabon on December 31st. If the team survives the preliminary group and makes it to the quarter-finals, this would take place on January 10th.
The Bundesliga starts again on this day and RB has to travel to FC St. Pauli. SC Freiburg is waiting on January 14th. The Africa Cup final is scheduled for January 18th. On this day there is also Leipzig’s top Bundesliga game against FC Bayern Munich. “Of course we would like to have all the players there at all times. However, our goal is also to develop players so that they can play for their home country,” said RB coach Ole Werner about the problem surrounding Diomande. Germany will play the second group game at the 2026 World Cup on June 20 against Ivory Coast.
TSG Hoffenheim: Touré also called up for the Africa Cup
In addition to Diomande, Bazoumana Touré from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim was also called up from the Bundesliga. The 19-year-old offensive player made his national team debut on October 10th and has two goals and four assists in 15 league and cup appearances this season. The Kraichgauers will face VfB Stuttgart (December 20th), Werder Bremen (January 10th), Borussia Mönchengladbach (January 14th) and Bayer Leverkusen (January 17th) until the end of the Africa Cup.
