Diomande gets bad news... but leaves Sporting fans smiling | OneFootball

Ousmane Diomande was not called up for the upcoming fixtures of the Ivory Coast national team. The absence of Sporting's central defender came as something of a surprise, and may even offer some hints as to what the reality will be at the AFCON, just a few months from now.

Both Diomande and Hidemasa Morita were left out of their respective national team squads. The absence of the Japanese midfielder was expected, given the agreement that Sporting made with the Japanese Federation to help preserve the physical condition of the green and white player.

Diomande's absence from the Ivory Coast squad list is more surprising. The green and white central defender was injured in one of the first matches of the season and only recently returned to action, in the game against Paços de Ferreira.

Although he has since reclaimed his place in Sporting’s defensive line, it was apparently not enough to convince his national team coach that he deserved a spot in the Ivory Coast squad, and he will indeed miss the next matches for his national team, which will also be the final tests before the Africa Cup of Nations, set to take place at the start of 2026.

As such, the door is now open for Ousmane Diomande to be left out of the African competition. The central defender has been a regular pick for his national team, but these developments could change the situation. Despite the bad news for the player, Rui Borges and Sporting fans are grateful, as they might not lose an important member of the squad 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.