Ivory Coast manager Marc Wilmots has revealed that he was hoping to have Tiemoue Bakayoko starting in his midfield, but the Chelsea midfielder opted for France.
In a recent interview with DH, Wilmots has lambasted the lack of players he has had to choose from for their World Cup qualifiers.
Ahead of a crucial game against Morocco on Saturday, Wilmots revealed he was hoping to have Chelsea’s summer signing involved.
I managed to convince some Franco-Ivorians to come help the country because there just isn’t enough in the local leagues. Tiémoué Bakayoko said yes before changing his mind, when he was meant to be my starting number six.
Ivory Coast had been interested in the services of the former Monaco midfielder for some time, but he made his senior debut for France against Spain back in March.
The midfielder was eligible to play for Wilmots’ side because of his parents.
He is yet to play in a competitive fixture for France, meaning he could still play for Ivory Coast in the future, but it appears he has set his sights on a place in Didier Deschamps’ squad for the 2018 World Cup.
