Côte d'Ivoire: Martial Godo, towards an inevitable selection?

Second most decisive player of the club
Arrived in Alsace from Fulham for 7 million euros, Martial Godo makes an impressive debut in France with Strasbourg. In Ligue 1 or the Conference League, the Ivorian winger is present, as evidenced by his 12 goals and 5 assists in 26 matches in all competitions.

Martial Godo is the second most decisive player for Racing behind Argentinian Joaquin Panichelli (15 goals and 4 assists) who, unlike Godo, takes penalties within the Alsatian club. Twirling, moving and punching down his left lane, the 23-year-old player is just as lethal in front of goals and is part of the revelations, if not the revelation of this season in Ligue 1.

Martial Godo called with the Elephants in March?
For many, he would have deserved to be selected with Côte d'Ivoire for the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco. But his absence was an evil for a good since Martial Godo continued in the regularity of his performances with Strasbourg to the point of becoming today a player that Emerse Faé cannot do without on his list for the next break.

Of all the attackers who played at the AFCON 2025 with the Elephants, only Yan Diomandé (9 goals and 7 assists in 25 games) is more decisive this season than Martial Godo. Bazoumana Touré (2 goals, 8 assists in 21 matches) comes in third position. That is to say how much the Strasbourg wing deserves to join this selection, he who has not yet had a A selection, except for a small appearance in the U23 on June 6, 2023 during a 3-0 defeat against the Netherlands.

The 2026 World Cup in focus
The March window should be the first for Martial Godo who is not hiding, by the way. Born in England to Ivorian parents, the Strasbourg winger expressed on Monday in Talents d'Afrique on Canal+Sport Afrique his desire to compete in the World Cup this summer with the Elephants.

“It’s the right time for me to represent Côte d'Ivoire. For me too and for my family. My relatives were proud that I represent where they come from and the nation of our blood. After having represented England (he has 6 capes in the U20), then Côte d'Ivoire, it’s positive. It’s an honor and a great achievement. We’ll see the future... so, I hope that one day, I will be called," 

said Martial Godo, before openly discussing his ambition to compete in the World Cup with Côte d'Ivoire.

« Yes, I have ambitions for the World Cup, assumes Martial Godo. At the beginning of the season, I was not in that perspective. I thought I wouldn’t be in these discussions, but now that’s my main goal. It would be a moment of exceptional pride, not just for me, for my family and for Strasbourg.”