It’s a squad that contains some of the finest players the Ivory Coast has ever produced but only one can be described as the maestro and apparently it’s not Didier Drogba or Yaya Toure.
Instead it’s the former Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora that proudly takes the name, so much so that the current Trabzonspor star is wearing the name on the back of his jersey for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
But is the 32-year-old fit to wear the shirt? Sportsmail looks back at the players who were perhaps better known maestros than Zokora.
One of the Premier League's greatest imports, the former Arsenal striker would often wow the Highbury crowd with his technical brilliance.
Rarely did he score just simple tap-ins with the Dutchman often adding his own genius touch to it. His goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup was arguably the best of the tournament.
Gianfranco ZolaThe jury is still out on his managerial career but there was no doubts surrounding Zola’s ability as a player. For seven years the Italian playmaker pulled the strings in the Chelsea attack on his way to becoming a club legend.
Whether it was to take under a minute to net the winning goal in a European final or score a back-heel flick, Zola’s fantastic skill was a joy to watch.
Worthy wearers: Di Canio and Scholes could certainly sport 'maestro' on their jerseys Paolo Di CanioThe fiery Italian often made headlines due to his controversial and slightly unorthodox antics but there was still a talented player inside the forward.
His volley for West Ham against Wimbledon is rated as one of the Premier League’s finest goals and he remains a club legend at Upton Park following a successful four-year spell that coincided with the Hammers recording a Premier League high finish of fifth.
Paul ScholesEven at the ripe old age of 38 Scholes continues to show his midfield class for Manchester United but despite being the fall-guy for the England midfield pairing of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, he is widely respected around Europe.
Zinedine Zidane called him the 'complete footballer' while Barcelona’s Xavi rates him as one of the best midfielders from the past 20 years.
Euro delight: Italian star Zola and Dutchman Bergkamp would suit the shirtHair-raiser: Currie had real flair Tony Currie
The 1970s was a decade where England made a habit of constantly missing out on major tournaments but it wasn’t due to a lack of flair players, as Tony Currie proved.
The midfielder, who won 17 England caps, was ahead of his time in terms of ball control, with his fantastic curling strike against Southampton for Leeds in 1978 coming in an era when such technique shown with a heavy football was a rare occurrence.
Sir Trevor BrookingBrooking may have played in a West Ham team that for the majority of his career drifted in the mid-table area of the First Division but his importance to the Hammers and overall ability was no secret.
Legendary managers such as Brian Clough and Bill Nicholson both tried to take Brooking away from Upton Park where he would spend his entire career from 1967-1984. The midfielder was also an England regular, playing 47 times for the Three Lions.
Jamie RedknappLiverpool may have yet to win the Premier League title but their team of the late 1990s often carried a credible threat at the top of the table, with Redknapp and his range of passing a key feature.
The midfielder was handy for a long range strike too but a knee injury seriously hampered his career in 2000 and as a result he would only pick up 17 England caps and none after 1999.
Gary McAllisterA legend at every club he played for, McAllister's achievements included helping Leeds win the First Division title in 1992 as well as helping Liverpool to a cup treble nine years later.
The Scot was deadly taking set-pieces, whether it was from delivering a pin-point cross or finding the top corner of the target and is a player that the Scottish national side are in desperate need for now.
Best foot forward: Both Redknapp and McAllister were imperious in midfieldJohnny Haynes
Didier Zokora and others may feel they can lay claim to the title of maestro but they are not fit to lace the boots of the first player to earn the nickname, Fulham’s Johnny Haynes.
The former Fulham and England captain played for 18 years at Craven Cottage and won 56 caps for his country in a career that spanned from 1952 to 1973.
Long before the days of David Beckham, Haynes was the Brylcreem boy. And in 1961, Haynes became the first player to be paid £100 per week when the £20 maximum wage was abolished.
All these accolades came because he was known for his exceptional passing and reading of the game, so much so that Pele described him as the ‘best passer of the ball I've ever seen’.
His statue stands proudly outside the stand at Craven Cottage that carries his name and among Fulham fans and football fans old enough to have seen him play, Johnny Haynes is The Maestro.
Paul GascoigneOne of England's greatest midfielders, Gascoigne captured the nation’s imagination at the 1990 World Cup but he also dragged a struggling Tottenham team to the 1991 FA Cup final, highlighted by his magnificent free-kick against Arsenal in the Wembley semi-final.
It was a knee injury in the final that caused his career to stagnate but there were many more moments of magic to come like his goal against Scotland at Euro 96.
England all-stars: Brooking in action for the Three Lions and Gazza in that famous semi-final with ArsenalDidier Zokora
Maestro wouldn’t be high on the list of words if you asked Tottenham fans to describe Didier Zokora but supporters quickly took to the midfielder and his battling qualities.
Signed as an £8m replacement for Michael Carrick in 2006, Zokora spent three years at White Hart Lane where he helped the club reach consecutive Carling Cup finals in 2008 and 2009 – winning the former.
He failed to score in 133 games but fans were always appreciative of the Ivorian's work ethic, giving him a chant to the tune of the song 'Do The Conga.' Wilson Palacios' arrival in January 2009 saw him lose his first team place though and he was sold the following summer to Sevilla.
More... Ronaldinho recalled by Brazil for glamour friendly against England at Wembley ‘He's lying. He's lying. He's lying, just lying. He's a liar': Chelsea boss Benitez loses his cool after being called a 'schoolteacher who couldn't be trusted'
