Côte d’Ivoire’s veteran Didier Zokora has rejected his call-up to the Elephants ahead of their clashes against Sierra Leone and Cameroon in the last round of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015 qualifiers in Group D.
The most capped player in the history of Ivoirian football, ‘Maestro’ announced his retirement from international duty last September after a final appearance for his country at the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014.
However, national coach Hervé Renard decided to recall the 33-year old for the home stretch of their AFCON qualifying campaign, including him in the 24-player list made public last Thursday.
But ‘Maestro’ ultimately decided to stick to his decision, turning down the invitation.
“To be honest, I will not be present with the Elephants. At least not on the field,” Zokora wrote in a statement.
“It is with pride that I wore the national jersey, but it is a page of my career that is definitely turned.
“I still believe that at this stage of my career, it is time to allow young talents to emerge and take their turn to contribute to the national team.”
The Elephants will face Sierra Leone on November 14 in Abidjan before hosting Cameroon five days later.
