5 Ivory Coast stars to watch out for ahead of England friendly

After a narrow 2-1 win over Switzerland at the weekend, England are now set to host Ivory Coast at Wembley Stadium this evening.

The Three Lions and the Elephants have never met in their history and it’s hard to predict outcome the clash in the London, with Ivory Coast featuring a number of brilliant footballers - a number of whom our England stars will know from their time in the Premier League.

While only a friendly, England will be eager to pick up another win at Wembley and will have to keep an eye on their opponents’ best players.

Here are five Ivory Coast internationals that the Three Lions will need to watch out for...

Sebastien Haller

Sebastien Haller has been on fire for Ajax this season following his move from West Ham last summer.

The forward has scored 20 goals in the Eredivisie and also bagged the opener for Ivory Coast against Sierra Leone at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite his struggles in the Premier League, Haller will certainly prove to be one of Ivory Coast’s biggest threats against England.

Wilfried Zaha

Wilfried Zaha is well known to many England fans due to his long career with Crystal Palace.

The winger was one of the Premier League’s best attackers for many years and was often linked with moves to big six clubs, eventually resulting in a brief spell with Manchester United.

The 29-year-old’s stats for Ivory Coast aren’t quite as impressive, but the England team will definitely be aware of how tricky he can be to come up against.

Jean Michael Seri

Seri has impressed for Fulham in the Championship this season, bagging six assists in 26 appearances.

If the midfielder can replicate his club form for The Elephants then he will prove a thorn in the side of the Three Lions, that’s for sure.

Nicolas Pepe

Nicolas Pepe’s time with Arsenal has been rather underwhelming since he joined the club from Lille in 2019.

However, his talent is still very obvious and he demonstrates that through his international performances.

The attacker scored twice in four matches for Ivory Coast at AFCON and also bagged the opener against France over the weekend.

His speed and ability will prove to be a handful for England’s defence tonight.

Franck Kessie

Franck Kessie is one of Serie A’s biggest stars, scoring five goals in 23 appearances for AC Milan this season.

The midfielder’s form has seen him linked with a number of elite clubs, with it now looking likely that he could join Barcelona this summer.

Kessie made his Ivory Coast debut at only 17 years old and has been one of their best players since - making 5 appearances.