DALLAS (AP) — Kolo Toure made Ivory Coast’s World Cup squad despite being diagnosed with malaria last week, joining his brother Yaya and veteran striker Didier Drogba in the African team’s final 23 for Brazil.
The Toure brothers, Drogba, Roma forward Gervinho and Lille’s Salomon Kalou were all on the squad named from the Ivory Coast’s training camp in the United States on Sunday. Defender Didier Zokora and midfielders Cheick Tiote, Didier Ya Konan and Max Gradel were also picked.
Swansea’s Wilfried Bony was one of six forwards alongside Drogba, Gervinho and Kalou, Basel’s Giovanni Sio and Fortuna Dusseldorf’s Mathis Bolly.
Everton striker Lacina Traore was among five players cut by coach Sabri Lamouchi. CSKA Moscow forward Seydou Doumbia, France-based defenders Brice Dja Djedje and Benjamin Angoua, and goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare also missed out.
Team officials said Kolo Toure contracted malaria after visiting the Ivorian city of Abidjan before joining the squad in Dallas. The Liverpool defender didn’t play in the 2-1 loss to Bosnia in a friendly on Friday in St. Louis but is expected to recover from the illness this week, according to the Ivory Coast Football Federation.
The federation said Yaya Toure joined up with his teammates on Friday after a trip to Qatar and trained on Sunday. The Manchester City midfielder is one of three players recovering from minor injuries, along with Ya Konan and Bolly.
Ivory Coast, the highest-ranked African squad in the world at No. 21, has a final World Cup warm-up game against El Salvador on Wednesday. It plays Japan, Colombia and Greece in the group stage at the World Cup.
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Sylvain Gbohouo (Sewe Sport), Mande Sayouba (Stabaek).
Defenders: Serge Aurier (Toulouse), Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro (Toulouse), Didier Zokora (Trabzonspor), Kolo Toure (Liverpool), Souleman Bamba (Trabzonspor), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Constant Djakpa (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ousmane Viera (Caykur Rizespor).
Midfielders: Cheick Tiote (Newcastle), Serey Die (Basel), Ismael Diomande (Saint-Etienne), Didier Ya Konan (Hannover), Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Max Gradel (Saint-Etienne).
Forwards: Didier Drogba (Galatasaray), Wilfried Bony (Swansea), Gervinho (Roma), Salomon Kalou (Lille), Giovanni Sio (Basel), Mathis Bolly (Fortuna Dusseldorf).
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