Ivory Coast defender Clement Akpa was ruled out of the World Cup squad due to an adductor injury he suffered during training with his club AJ Auxerre in early May 2023, causing him to miss the final weekend of Ligue 1 action [1, 2]. Akpa had earned five caps for the national team before his withdrawal [1, 2].
To fill the vacancy, Christopher Operi was called up to the Ivory Coast World Cup squad. Operi plays for Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir and has previous international experience, having featured in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco earlier this year [1, 2].
Operi had also experienced injury troubles himself, suffering injuries during friendly internationals against South Korea and Scotland in March 2023 [1, 2]. He has since recovered and joined the Ivorian team at their training camp in Paris ahead of the World Cup [1, 2].
Ivory Coast will face France in a friendly match in Nantes on June 4 as part of their World Cup preparations [1, 2]. They have been drawn into Group E alongside Ecuador, Germany, and Curaçao [1, 2].
The replacement was confirmed by Ivory Coast officials on May 30, 2023 [1, 2]. Operi’s integration into the squad aims to bolster the defensive options ahead of the tournament kick-off.