Hibs defender Bamba Called up to Ivory Coast World Cup Squad

Last updated : 11 May 2010 By Steve Forbes

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Hibs defender Sol Bamba has been given the exciting news that he has been called up to the Ivory Coast squad for the 2010 Fifa World Cup Finals.

The 25-year-old has made Sven-Goran Eriksson’s 30 man squad for the biggest tournament on the planet, hosted in South Africa in little under 5 weeks.

Bamba returned from a three game suspension to help the Hibees secure Europa League football next season, and 4th place in the SPL, with a 2-0 win over Dundee Utd at Tannadice on Sunday.

Now Bamba has secured his seat on the aeroplane to South Africa.

The full Ivory Coast squad for the tournament is as follows:

Goalkeepers:

Vincent Angban (ASEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast), Boubacar Barry (Lokeren, Belgium), Aristides Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Daniel Yeboah (SEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast).

Defenders:

Souleymane Bamba (Hibernian, Scotland), Arthur Boka (VB Stuttgart, Germany), Benjamin Brou Angoua (Valenciennes, France), Guy Demel (Hamburg SV, Germany), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal, England), Abdoulaye Meite (West Bromwich Albion, England), Steve Gohouri (Wigan Athletic, England), Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes, France), Kolo Toure (Manchester City, England).

Midfielders:

Emerse Fae (Nantes, France), Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso(Monaco, France), Abdelkader Keita (Galatasaray, Turkey), Emmanuel Kone(International Curtea Arges, Romania), Gervais Yao Kouassi (Lille, France), Christian Koffi Ndri (Sevilla, Spain), Cheik Ismael Tiote (Twente Enschede, Holland), Yaya Toure (Barcelona, Spain), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Didier Zokora (Sevilla, Spain).

Forwards:

Kanga Akale (Racing Lens, France), Aruna Dindane (Racing Lens, France), Seydou Doumbia (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea, England), Bakary Kone (Olympique Marseille, France).

It’s good to see another World Cup with a Hibs player involved, with Bamba following on from former full back Ulises De La Cruz, who played at the 2002 tournament in Korea & Japan for Ecuador, and won himself a £2m move to Premiership side Aston Villa.

Bamba is not short of admirers himself, with Liverpool, Fulham and French sides Paris St Germain and Rennes watching his progress closely, and who will surely be interested viewers this summer.

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