Nicolas Pépé reveals the reason he was convinced to stay with Ivory Coast!

For a while, his international future hung in the balance — nobody quite knew whether Nicolas Pépé would pull on the Elephants' shirt again. But that uncertainty has now been put to rest, and the Villarreal striker has chosen to carry on representing the Ivory Coast.

Pepe reveals his conversation with Harvey Renard

The turning point, as Pépé tells it, came down to a single conversation. He sat down with manager Hervé Renard, and whatever was said in that room shifted everything. The manager laid out his vision, his expectations, and the role he had in mind — and that, according to the player, was what settled it.

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"It's true that I had left some doubt hanging over my future with Côte d'Ivoire," Pépé admitted, "but I had a conversation with the manager. He explained to me what he wanted and expected of me. I think that's what tipped the balance in favour of me continuing."

With that chapter closed, Pépé now finds himself part of Renard's squad as the Ivory Coast battle through the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Hazem Mlhem |

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Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

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