Diomande dealt a blow... But gives Sporting fans something to smile about | OneFootball

Ousmane Diomande was not called up for the upcoming commitments of the Ivory Coast. The absence of the Sporting center-back caused some surprise and may even provide some hints about what the reality will be in the CAN, in a few months.

Both Diomande and Hidemasa Morita were left out of the call-ups for their respective national teams. The absence of the Japanese midfielder was expected, considering the protocol that Sporting agreed with the Japan Federation, to preserve the physical condition of the green and white athlete.

Diomande's absence from the Ivory Coast's call-up list is more surprising. The green and white center-back was injured in one of the first games of the season and only recently returned to competition, in the match against Paços de Ferreira.

Although he has since secured his place in Sporting's defensive line, he may not have done enough to convince his national coach that he deserved a spot on the Ivory Coast National Team, and he will indeed miss the upcoming commitments of his national team, which will also be the final tests before the African Cup of Nations, which takes place at the beginning of 2026.

Thus, the door is open for Ousmane Diomande to be left out of the African competition. The center-back has been a regular choice for his national team, but these developments may change the situation. Despite the bad news for the player, Rui Borges and Sporting fans are grateful, as they may not lose an important squad member for about a month in the middle of the season.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.