Pretoria - Cote d'Ivoire skipper and Chelsea goal poacher, Didier Drogba, will not join the Ivorian squad that will take on Bafana Bafana at the Nelson Mandela Challenge on Saturday.
Drogba has been rested following recent surgery on his arm.
However, the Elephants have announced a 19-strong contingent squad which include Arsenal's Gervinho, Yaya and Kolo Toure of Manchester City and Chelsea's winger Salomon Kalou.
The Elephants are to face Bafana at the Nelson Mandela Challenge at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday at 3:15pm. The Ivorian's are expected in the country on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Bafana are already in the Eastern Cape and expecting to welcome their skipper Steven Pienaar, who will join them later on Tuesday.
Other Bafana players also expected to join the camp later today include England-based Kagisho Dikgacoi, Israel-based Bevan Fransman and Tsepo Masilela who plays in Spain.
Tickets for the clash are available at Computicket outlets as well as Shoprite and Shoprite/Checkers stores countrywide. They are R100 for the lower stand and R50 for all the other areas.
The Ivorian squad are: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Gnanhouan Gerard (Avranches) and Daniel Yeboah (Asec); defenders: Benjamin Angoua (Valenciennes), Souleiman Bamba (Leicester), Emmanuel Eboue (Galatasary), Igor Lolo (Kuban), Siaka Tiene (PSG), Kolo Toure (Manchester City) and Didier Zokora(Trabzonspor); midfielders: Jean-Jacques Gosso (Orduspor), Max Gradel (Saint-Etienne), Coulibaly Kafoumba (Nice), Didier Ya Konan (Hanover) and Yaya Toure (Manchester City); forwards: Wilfried Bony (Vitesse), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Gervinho (Arsenal) and Salomon Kalou (Chelsea).
The South African squad will comprise goal keepers Moneeb Josephs and Wayne Sandilands; defenders Morgan Gould, Happy Jele, Siboniso Gaxa, Tsepo Masilela, Bongani Khumalo, Anele Ngcongca, Siyabonga Sangweni, Punch Masenamela, Bilankulu Musa and Bevan Fransman; midfielders Claasen Daylon, Hlompho Kekana, Oupa Manyisa, Thanduyise Khuboni, Simphiwe Tshabalala, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Granwald Scott, George Lebese, George Maluleka, Steven Pienaar, Teko Modise and Kagisho Dikgacoi; strikers Kermit Erasmus, Siyabonga Nontshinga, Katlego Mphela and Bradley Grobler.
