International winger Nicolas Pépé broke his silence this week to speak candidly about the reasons behind his absence from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations . In an interview with journalist Malick Traoré , which was shared on YouTube, the Villarreal CF player described a situation he called a "triple penalty," including criticism, being left out of the squad, and what he considers a lack of official support from his federation.

Pepe was not selected for the Ivory Coast squad for the last Africa Cup of Nations despite solid performances at club level. The former Angers SCO , LOSC Lille , and OGC Nice player explained that it all started after a video was posted on Just Riadh 's channel, in which he appeared in a humorous football segment. His comments, particularly mocking the Moroccan national team, triggered a wave of negative reactions and racist insults on social media .

“It was a video that I approved because it’s me, it’s who I am. There were no regrets at that level. (…) But in the end, it took on extreme proportions,” Pepe confided in the interview, reflecting on the scale of the reactions he faced.

An absence that leaves a void.

Beyond the criticism, the former Ivory Coast international mainly pointed to the lack of official support . "I'm being insulted, I'm not playing in the AFCON, and the federation isn't defending me. La Liga defends you, people defend you, but not your country," he lamented, believing that the Ivorian Federation reacted too late .

Pepe indicated that he received no official messages of support, neither from the federation president nor from the national team coach , at a time when he was facing an intense personal and media crisis. "It was like I was being crushed, then crushed again and again," he summarized.

However, he welcomed the significant support from former internationals , notably Didier Drogba , who encouraged him not to turn his back on the national team despite this difficult period.