Salomon Kalou currently plays for Chelsea, and started his career with Feyenoord (Rotterdam).

After going on loan to Excelsior Rotterdam in 2004, Kalou rejoined the top-three-Dutch team, winning the Johan Cruyff Award for young talent playing in the Netherlands in 2005.

The award also led to a ultimately-failed attempt to acquire Dutch citizenship. Having consistently refused Ivory Coast call-ups, Kalou was keen to become a naturalized Dutch player - a move backed by then-coach Marco van Basten, but not by the Minister of Immigration. Following his decision not to pursue the change in nationality, Kalou signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2006, and finally made his debut for his country in February 2007 in a friendly against Guinea.

Kalou is a forward, but is also capable of playing on the wing, with a preference for playing on the left wing which gives him the opportunity to shoot with his favoured right foot.

Last season, he passed the 100 Chelsea career games milestone and started 33 with 15 sub appearances. Only 2 players were involved in more games.

Gervais Yao Kouassi (Gervinho) began his career with five years in the famed ASEC Abidjan youth academy. Following this he moved to the second division club Toumodi F.C. before finishing off his time in youth clubs at K.S.K. Beveren.

During his time at the Belgian club, Gervinho started his senior career and stayed with Beveren until the end of the 2006/07 season to move to French Ligue 1 side Le Mans, where he plays alongside his compatriot Romaric.

His Ivorian senior squad call-up came for the friendlies against Angola and Qatar in November 2007, and his strong play lead him to be picked for the Ivorian squad for their 2008 African Cup of Nations campaign in Ghana where he was given the number 10 shirt.

Gervinho is the captain for the Cote d'Ivoire Olympic team. In September 2007 he scored from the penalty spot to help secure Ivory Coast a 3-1 victory over Mali in a Beijing 2008 qualifying game.

Sekou Cissé is an attacker who can be used as a central striker or on either flank. He is seen as a very athletic and fleet-footed player who poses a constant threat to any defence.

Cissé started his professional career with Roda JC (Kerkrade, Netherlands) in the summer of 2004, having been recommended to the club by his fellow Ivory Coast player, Aroune Kone, who was formerly with Roda.

With Kone leaving for PSV, Cissé was given his chance to star, a challenge to which he rose, scoring five times in 25 games. He played another 27 games in 2005/6, but only scored another four goals.

His international career started with a call-up for the preliminary squad for the 2008 African Cup of Nations competition in Ghana. However international success came in the 2008 Toulon Tournament in Italy where Cissé's ranking as the top scorer of the tournament with four goals helped the U-23 Cote d'Ivoire team place third.