"Just two minutes before the squad announcement, I was in it": How Nicolas Pépé missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations

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·25 de febrero de 2026

"Just two minutes before the squad announcement, I was in it": How Nicolas Pépé missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations

The controversial reasons behind Nicolas Pépé’s absence from the latest Africa Cup of Nations.

"Just two minutes before the squad announcement, I was in it": How Nicolas Pépé missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations

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On Wednesday, Nicolas Pépé opened up about the details behind his absence from the most recent Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast national team. The reasons, as it turns out, were far from sporting.

In an interview with NCI channel, Nicolas Pépé spoke with striking honesty. He revealed, without hesitation, the circumstances that led to his last-minute exclusion from the tournament. The Villarreal winger explained that he was left out because of a video in which he mocked Morocco for having won the Africa Cup of Nations only once in their history. In the same video, he also touched on the topic of dual-nationality players who consider Ivory Coast as their second choice.

Because of my video, I wasn’t selected. The coach told me the president was angry. I asked him why, then I called the president and apologized to him. He explained that some people had spoken to him and made him angry, but he forgave me. All of this happened just two days before the squad was announced.

In what can only be described as Pépé’s great confessions, the former Arsenal star revealed how he was on the verge of making his fourth appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations. Coach Emerse Faé had already included him in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions’ squad.

When I saw my name wasn’t on the Africa Cup of Nations squad list, Faé called me but I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say to him. It took me two days to return his call. He told me that even just two minutes before the squad announcement, I was still in it, but it was out of his hands. After that, I wished him good luck, because Ivory Coast will always be my country.