ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — After two years out of the national team, Wilfried Zaha was recalled Tuesday by Ivory Coast to help defend its Africa Cup of Nations title at the tournament starting this month.

The 33-year-old Zaha —- who played in Major League Soccer this year for Charlotte on loan from Galatasaray — was included in a 26-player squad by coach Emerse Faé. Yan Diomande of Leipzig and Manchester United’s Amad Diallo are also in the team.

Ivory Coast is in a group with Mozambique, Cameroon and Gabon at the Dec. 21-Jan 18 tournament in Morocco.

Zaha, the longtime Crystal Palace winger, played at three AFCON tournaments but was not selected for the host nation for the previous edition in 2024.

Ivory Coast then fired coach Jean-Louis Gasset after struggling in the group stage, and his

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