Ivory Coast have had to make a last-minute adjustment to their 2026 World Cup squad after defender Clement Akpa was sidelined due to an adductor injury sustained during training with his French club, AJ Auxerre.

Akpa, capped five times for his country, missed recent Ligue 1 fixtures and will now be replaced by left-back Christopher Operi, who currently plays for Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.

Operi had previously been part of the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco earlier this year, but an injury prevented him from participating in friendly matches against South Korea and Scotland in March.The Ivorian squad has gathered at a training camp in Paris ahead of a friendly against France on June 4 in Nantes.The team is set to face Ecuador, Germany, and Curaçao in Group E of the World Cup.

This substitution ensures Ivory Coast maintains a strong defensive line while giving Operi another chance to represent his country on football’s biggest stage.