Sven-Goran Eriksson names 23 Ivory Coast squad

Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson named his final 23 man World Cup squad on Tuesday, dropping Marseille striker Bakari Kone and West Bromwich defender Abdoulaye Meite.

Two other French league players, Emerse Faye (Nice) and Kanga Akele (Lens), were also whittled out of the original squad of 30, Eriksson announced at the team's training camp in the Swiss Alps at Gstaad.

Of seven sidelined, five were midfielders and forwards who paid the price of strong competition among Ivory Coast's strike force for the tournament in South Africa. The West Africans are drawn in Group G with Brazil, North Korea and Portugal.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren/BEL), Aristide Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya/ISR), Daniel Yeboah (ASEC Mimosas/CIV)

Defenders: Kolo Toure (Manchester City/ENG), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal/ENG), Guy Demel (SV Hamburg/GER), Souleman Bamba (Hibernian/SCO), Benjamin Angoua Brou (Valenciennes/FRA), Arthur Boka (VfB Stuttgart/GER), Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes/FRA), Steve Gohouri (Wigan Athletic/ENG)

Midfielders: Yaya Toure (Barcelona/ESP), Didier Zokora (Sevilla/ESP), Emmanuel Kone (Curtea Arges/ROM), Cheik Ismael Tiote (FC Twente/NED), Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso (Monaco/FRA), Romaric N'dri Koffi (Sevilla/ESP)

Strikers: Didier Drogba (Chelsea/ENG), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea/ENG), Kader Keita (Galatasaray/TUR), Aruna Dindane (Portsmouth/ENG), Gervinho (Lille/FRA), Seydou Doumbia (Young Boys/SUI)

Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou in South Africa 2010

Sven Goran Eriksson named his provisional 30-man squad in Abidjan, including Drogba, Chelsea teammate Salomon Kalou, Aruna Dindane of Lens, Barcelona's Yaya Toure and defenders Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue.

He said: "it's not enough to hope Drogba will go out and score goals." The Ivory Coast on Tuesday named the following 29-man preliminary squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa: This will be reduced to 23 by June 1.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Angban (ASEC Abidjan), Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Aristides Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya), Daniel Yeboah (ASEC Abidjan).

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

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

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