Stade Rennais right-back, Guéla Doué, was called up by Emerson Faé to play in Ivory Coast’s March friendly matches. A year after his debut with the Elephants’ hopefuls, the 21-year-old defender will therefore take his first steps with the big boys. The reward for regular progress for the brother of Désiré Doué, resident of the French youth teams.
Published on: 03/12/2024 – 2:19 p.m.
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Guéla Doué, the aptly named. The Stade Rennais defender was called up for the first time in the Ivorian A selection to prepare for the friendly matches against Benin and Uruguay on March 23 and 26.
The Elephants have planned a parade in France to celebrate their title of African champion during the international break. And the young 21-year-old right-back is the surprise of the head of Emerse Faé on his list of 25 players because the coach has also made his choices under the sign of continuity: 24 of the 27 African champions have been selected. Only Sébastien Haller (injured), Christian Kouamé (convalescent) and Serge Aurier (recovery) are absent. It is the latter, emblematic captain of the Ivorian selection, that Guéla Doué will be responsible for replacing.
Read alsoCAN 2024: Ivorian captains Aurier and Gradel enjoy their 2nd African champion title
For the Franco-Ivorian dual national, however, this is not a big leap into the unknown. Guéla Doué had in fact already made the choice of his sporting nationality in March 2023 by opting for the Éléphanteaux.
A young career at Stade Rennais
Born on October 17, 2002 in Angers (Maine-et-Loire, western France), to Ivorian parents, Guéla Doué joined the Stade Rennais training center at the age of 8. He is part of the 2002 generation of the Breton club, whose most illustrious representative is Eduardo Camavinga, current resident of Real Madrid and regular starter in the French team.
Read alsoFootball: the revelation Eduardo Camavinga, newcomer to the Blues and star of Stade Rennais
This trained right-back made his debut with the Rennes reserve in National 3 during the 2020-2021 season and signed his first professional contract with his training club in November 2021. The following summer, he joined the preparation of the professional group for the first time and played his first match against Stade Malherbe Caen.
His first professional match comes on February 1, 2022 against Strasbourg. Satisfied with his performance, the Rennes leaders decided, in January 2023, to extend his contract until June 2025 and offered him a place as Assignon’s understudy for the 2023/2024 season.
“Since the start of the season and even last year, he is a boy who comes to training not to get some fresh air, but to progress. He sets goals for himself, gives himself the means to achieve them and will reach them sooner or later, in any case he advances”, then praised Bruno Genesiocoach of Stade Rennais.
However, with the replacement of Genesio by Julien Stéphan, he quickly became a starter and indisputable in the Breton eleven. This year, he played 26 matches for 15 starts and became a sure bet on the right flank of Stade Rennais.
“It’s true that I didn’t expect to play so much, but I was always ready to play matches and help the team. I’m happy to have had this opportunity,” he explained in February in Ouest-France. “This is my second year as a professional, last season I also gained experience working with the group, which allowed me to approach matches with less stress. And I am here first to play football, so no unnecessary stress.”
A brotherhood of talents
But in the Doué family, there are even more… gifted. Guéla hatched later than her little brother Désiré. European under-17 champion in 2022 with Warren Zaire-Emery, Mathys Tel and his teammate Jeanuël Belocian, quickly targeted by big clubs, the youngest had signed a first professional contract at Stade Rennais before he turned 17.
“We are very close, and he was able to explain two or three things to me, whereas normally it is done in the opposite direction,” laughs Guéla, still in Ouest-France. “But it feels good to have him by my side, we talk a lot, no matter the moments, we are there for each other. It’s a pleasure to share these moments and our passion today. We enjoy every game we play together.”
Fusional, the two brothers nevertheless have quite opposite trajectories: on the one hand, the young midfielder steeped in talent with the world at his feet, to whom everyone predicts a post-Rennes future in the tradition of Ousmane Dembélé or Eduardo Camavinga. On the other, a more laborious Guéla but who gives himself the means to achieve his objectives: “Désiré, he is a pure talent, and Guéla, everything he has, he went to get it. In Rennes, he suffers of his image because he took time to grow up, but he’s a monster. Guéla is more calm, he has incredible maturity, Désiré is more flamboyant.” summarized in L’Équipe last October a close friend of the siblings.
Among the Elephants, Guéla Doué will also have to earn his place if he wants to stay for the long term. Emerse Faé having indicated that he was not his first choice to replace Serge Aurier. But with his hard work, the eldest of the Doué has all the cards in hand.
From there to dreaming of a Boateng-style destiny for the siblings? In 2010 and 2014, half-brothers Kevin-Prince and Jérôme competed against each other in the World Cup. The first wore the jersey of Ghana, home of his parents, while the second wore that of Germany, where the two brothers were born.
