Ivory Coast manager Patrice Beaumelle has insisted he is not angry with Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha’s decision to skip their upcoming game with Madagascar.
The Elephants are set to meet with Madagascar in the third round of qualifying for the African Cup of Nations, which is scheduled for next year.
Zaha had been called up by Beaumelle for the squad, having established himself as one of the stars of the national side after choosing to represent them over England.
However, the Crystal Palace forward has elected to skip the games and stay in England so that he can be with his girlfriend Paige Bannister, who is set to give birth any day.
Beaumelle had tried to convince the player to travel regardless, but Zaha stuck by his decision, something which had sparked rumours of a fallout between the pair.
The Ivory Coast manager insists that isn’t the case, though, claiming he wouldn’t have wanted the Crystal Palace man if he wasn’t 100% focused anyway.
“I have spoken to Wilfried Zaha on many occasions,” Afrique-Sur7 report him saying.
“The first message is that he and I are in tune. I am not angry. Wilfried Zaha is waiting for a happy event; that is his private life. I don’t even need to talk about it.
“Of course, he wanted to come with the Elephants. He is always available to the Elephants.
“But there was also this anxiety that this event is coming up in the next few days, and he also wanted to be close to his family.
“I preferred to have a group that was 100% ready for these two games, rather than having a player who could come and always be attentive to what could happen at home and maybe not 100% concentrated.
“I preferred for these two games against Madagascar, to do without Wilfried Zaha who, on the one hand, wants to be here, and on the other hand, wants to be close to his family.”
