The Ivory Coast coach, Sabri Lamouchi, has named several players with Premier League experience in his 28-man preliminary squad for the World Cup.
Manchester City's Yaya Touré is joined by his brother, Kolo, from Liverpool, the Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony, Newcastle United's Cheik Tioté and former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou.
The former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué, now at Galatasaray, and the Genclerbirligi midfielder Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso are among the surprise absentees.
Ivory Coast will face Japan in their opening match of Group C on 14 June, with Greece and Colombia making up their fixtures.
The squad
Goalkeepers Copa Barry (Lokeren), Gbohouo Sylvain (Sewe Sport), Sayouba Mandé (Stabaek), Badra Ali (ASEC Mimosas).
Defenders Kolo Touré (Liverpool), Bamba Souleyman (Trabzonspor), Jean Daniel Akpa Akpro (Toulouse), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Serge Aurier (Toulouse), Brice Dja Djédjé (Marseille), Didier Zokora (Trabzonspor), Benjamin Angoua Brou (Valenciennes), Ousman Vieira (Caykur Rizespor).
Midfielders Cheik Tioté (Newcastle), Yaya Touré (Manchester City), Romaric (Bastia), Max-Alain Gradel (St-Etienne), Ismaël Diomandé (St-Etienne), Didier Ya Konan (Hannover), Constant Djakpa (Eintracht Frankfurt), Geoffroy Serey Dié (Basel).
Strikers Wilfried Bony (Swansea), Didier Drogba (Galatasaray), Gervinho (Roma), Giovanni Sio (Basel), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Lacina Traoré (Monaco), Salomon Kalou (Lille).
