Ivory Coast: Can a hat-trick finally solve the Elephants’ No. 9 problem?

Elye Wahi scored a hat-trick and provided an assist in Nice’s 5-2 win over Rennes, putting his place in the Ivory Coast squad back in focus ahead of Hervé Renard’s list for the match against Gambia. Despite the performance, the striker is still waiting for his first goal for the Elephants, and his early international appearances have been underwhelming. His rival Ange-Yoan Bonny, who has limited playing time at Inter despite scoring twice in Serie A this season, has also yet to impress for the national team. Neither has established himself as the clear successor to Sébastien Haller, with Evann Guessand, Karim Konaté and Haller also among the possible options.