Chronicle EditorLONDON — Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has decided to switch his international allegiance to Ivory Coast from England and he could feature at next year’s African Cup of Nations soccer finals in Gabon.The 24-year-old was able to make the switch to Ivory Coast as his two England caps came in friendlies, against Sweden in 2012 and Scotland the following year.
“The Ivorian-English attacking midfielder Wilfried Zaha has chosen to play for the Elephants, under the colours of the Ivory Coast, his country of origin,” the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) said in a statement.
“In the presence of his father, of Augustin Sidy Diallo (president of the FIF) and Michel Dussuyer (Elephants coach), he signed at the bottom of the demand to change his sporting nationality addressed to FIFA.”
Zaha has been capped twice by England at senior level and 13 times with the Under-21s, but without featuring in a competitive match, he is free to switch allegiances.
That has opened up the possibility of playing for the Ivory Coast with Zaha set to feature at the 2017 African Cup of Nations in Gabon.
Zaha was born in Abidjan and moved to London at the age of four before enrolling with the Crystal Palace academy eight years later. The news is a major boost for manager Michel Dussuyer, though Alan Pardew will have mixed feelings about the announcement.
With Palace languishing just outside the relegation zone on goal difference, Zaha’s absence will be felt during January.
Zaha is set to miss home games against Everton and Sunderland and a trip to Bournemouth, should the Ivory Coast advance to the final of the competition. — AFP.
Online Reporter