Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae has revealed that Nicolas Pepe was left out of his squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations due to off-the-field factors.
The 30-year-old winger made just one appearance during the AFCON qualifiers, but he played a more significant role for the Elephants as they booked their place at the 2026 World Cup.
Pepe has featured regularly for Villarreal this term, scoring two goals and providing one assist in 14 La Liga games to help his team make their best-ever start to a season.
