Kalou has been in good form for Chelsea this season

Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou is set to play his first competitive game for Ivory Coast after being named in the team to play Madagascar in a Nations Cup qualifier next week.

The 22-year-old was named in coach Uli Stielike's 18-man squad for the game on 25 March.

Kalou, who last year failed in a legal bid to win Dutch nationality to play for Holland at the World Cup in Germany, joins team-mate Didier Drogba for the match in Antananarivo.

Kalou made his debut for the Ivorians last month in a 1-0 friendly win over Guinea in France, finally agreeing to play for Ivory Coast after more than a year spurning their advances while concentrating on his bid to become a Dutch citizen.

When his bid to have citizenship fast tracked was rejected by the Dutch government, Kalou changed tack and agreed to play for Ivory Coast, where he was born.

His brother Bonaventure Kalou of Paris St Germain has been dropped.

The Ivorians, who beat Gabon 5-0 in their only previous Group One match in October, are without the injured Arouna Kone of PSV Eindhoven and Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Beveren, Belgium), Gerard Gnanhouan (Creteil, France)

Defenders: Arthur Boka (VfB Stuttgart, Germany), Mamadou Doumbia (Istres, France), Steve Gohouri (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Abdoulaye Meite (Bolton Wanderers, England), Kolo Toure (Arsenal, England)

Midfielders: Kanga Akale (AJ Auxerre, France), Christian Koffi Ndri (Le Mans, France), Siaka Tiene (Stade Reims, France), Gneri Yaya Toure (Monaco, France), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Didier Zokora (Tottenham Hotspur, England)