Sekhukhune United’s Badra Ali Sangaré continues to be in pole position to keep goal for the Ivory Coast when they host the Africa Cup of Nations finals early next year as he makes up part of the 25-man squad that has been picked for the qualifier against Lesotho and the friendly against Mali, to be played over the next seven days.

Sangare was a first choice for the Ivorians at the last Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon. Although they are automatically qualified as hosts for the next edition, they have been participating in group H, where they finish their fixture list against already-eliminated Lesotho in San Pedro on Saturday. Three days later, they host Mali at Ebimpe.

There is a new goalkeeper in the squad in Yahia Fofana, who is Paris-born and plays in Ligue 2 for Angers. He will try to wrestle away Sangare’s No 1 jersey.

Defender Willy Bolly returns to the squad and replaces Eric Bailly, who had been without a club until joining Turkey’s Besiktas on Monday, while the 19-year-old Ousmane Diomande from Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon is in line for his debut.

The 20-year-old Oumar Diakite was called up for the first time in June but had to withdraw through injury. He gets another chance to make his debut in midfield.

Sébastien Haller, who has overcome his cancer scare, is also back in the reckoning to lead the attack but there is no place in the squad for the likes of Seko Fofana, Nicolas Pépé and Wilfried Zaha, who now face missing out on January’s finals.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Angers, France), Charles Folly (ASEC Abidjan), Badra Ali Sangaré (Sekhukhune United, South Africa)

Defenders: Serge Aurier, Willy Bolly (both Nottingham Forest, England), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Ghislain Konan (Al Fahya, Saudi Arabia), Odilon Kossonou (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma, Italy), Wilfried Singo (Torino, Italy), Abakar Sylla (Racing Strasbourg, France)

Midfielders: Simon Adingra (Brighton & Hove Albion, England), Jonathan Bamba (Celta Vigo, Spain), Oumar Diakite (Stade Reims, France), Idrissa Doumbia (Al Ahli, Qatar), Max Alain Gradel (Gaziantep, Turkey), Franck Kessié (Al Ahli Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest, England), Jean Michaël Séri (Hull City, England), Hamed Traore (Bournemouth, England)

Forwards: Maxwell Cornet (West Ham United, England), Sébastien Haller (Borussia Dormtund, Germany), Karim Konaté (RB Salzburg, Austria), Christian Kouamé (Fiorentina, Italy), Jean Philippe Krasso (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia).