YayaToure has ended his self-enforced
international break and will play for Ivory Coast in this month's Africa Cup of
Nations qualifiers against Sudan.
Manchester
City midfielder Toure's last competitive international was the Nations Cup
final in February 2015.
Bournemouth
midfielder Max Gradel, also absent since helping the Elephants win the trophy,
is back after injury.
Newcastle's
SeydouDoumbia, Sunderland's LamineKone and Manchester City's Wilfried Bony are
also included.
China-based
Gervinho is also in the strong 24-man squad, as is Hertha Berlin striker
Salomon Kalou.
But
it is the return of their inspirational captain Toure, 32, that is the biggest
boost for Ivory Coast as they continue the defence of the title.
They
sit second in group I on a single point, after being held to a goalless draw by
Sierra Leone in Nigeria last September.
The
Elephants will host group leaders Sudan in Abidjan on 25 March before playing
the return leg in Khartoum four days later.
Coach
Michel Dussuyer wants to take all six points in the back-to-back fixtures to
avoid an embarrassing qualifying exit for the holders.
"That
is our goal [six points] and we will work in this direction," he told the
Ivorian Federation website.
"But
first we must earn the first three points in Abidjan before going to get a
positive result in Khartoum.
"For
now, I want to focus on the first game where we plan to destabilise our
opponent. The Sudanese will draw up a defensive screen in front of their goal.
We will be working on our attack to find their weakness."
The
group also includes 2017 Nations Cup hosts Gabon but their matches will not
count towards qualification. Only the group winners advance to the finals.
Ivory Coast squad:
Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohou (TP Mazembe, DR
Congo), Ali SangareBadra (AS Tanda) MandeSayouba (Stabaek, Norway)
Defenders: Serge Aurier (PSG, France),
MamadouBagayoko (KV St Trond, Belgium), Eric Bailly (Villareal, Spain), Simon
Deli (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Constant Djakpa (Eintracht Frankfurt,
Germany), WilfriedKanon (ADO Den Haag, Netherlands), LamineKone (Sunderland,
England) OusmaneViera (Rizespor, Turkey)
Midfielders: Jean Daniel AkpaAkpro
(Toulouse FC, France), Jean Michaël Seri (Nice, France), Yao Serge N'Guessan
(AFAD), VictorienAngban (KV St Trond, Belgium), (Geoffrey Serey Die (VFB
Stuttgart, Germany), YayaToure (Manchester City, England)
Forwards: Wilfried Bony (Manchester City,
England), SeydouDoumbia (Newcastle, England), Gervinho (Hebei Fortune FC,
China), Max Gradel (Bournemouth, England), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin,
Germany), Giovanni Sio (Rennes, France), Cyriac Bi Gohi (KV Ostende, Belgium)
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