Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has found himself in a tug-of-war with the English and Ivory Coast football associations.
Zaha, who was born in the Ivorian capital Abidjan, moved to London when he was four. The 24-year-old played underage football for England's U-19s and U-21s, before making two appearances for the senior team. Those two caps came in friendlies, meaning he was allowed declare for the African giants.
Less than a month ago, it was confirmed that Zaha had switched allegiances and was in line to make his debut at next year's Africa Cup of Nations. The reigning champions are in Group C alongside DR Congo, Morocco and Togo. The team play their opening game of the tournament, against Togo, on January 16th. Zaha could make his debut before that in a friendly against Sweden or Uganda.
Wilfried Zaha opte pour la Côte d’Ivoirehttps://t.co/BdZUeO5obi pic.twitter.com/XuynRYCglX
— FIFCI (@FIFCI_tweet) November 28, 2016
Despite switching sides, Zaha has been asked to reconsider his position, by England manager Gareth Southgate. The two men worked together when Southgate managed the Under-21 side.
According to the Press Association, the England manager has tried to convince Zaha to reverse his decision, despite not guaranteeing him any gametime. The last of Zaha's two England caps came in August 2013, against Scotland.
The winger has scored three goals this season, and started Crystal Palace's game against Watford on St. Stephen's Day.
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