French-born Traore has not played for Mali for the last year

French-born Traore has not played for Mali for the last year.

He was omitted from the side when he went on holiday rather than play for his country in two Nations Cup qualifiers in June.

Traore won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 but has played just four games for Portsmouth this season.

Coach Jean Francois Jodar has handed a recall to AJ Auxerre defender Sammy Traore, whose last game was also in October 2006 and Sekou Berthe, who had been suspended.

French-born Oumar Sissoko, who has played a single game for Metz, has been called up for the first time and is one of just two goalkeepers named in the squad.

Also in the squad for the first time are 18-year-old Nice midfielder Mahamane Traore and Amiens striker Bakaye Traore.

The squad will be trimmed to 23 before the Nations Cup kicks off on 20 January.

Mali, who have been drawn in Group B with Benin, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria, plan to hold a training camp in the United Arab Emirates from 7 January.

Squad:

Goalkeepers:
Mahamadou Sidibe (PAS Giannina), Oumar Sissoko (Metz)

Defenders:
Sekou Berthe (Panionios), Adama Coulibaly (Lens), Moussa Coulibaly (Mouloudia Alger), Souleymane Diamoutene (Lecce), Fousseyni Diawara (St Etienne), Cedric Kante (Nice), Boubacar Sidiki Kone (Maghreb Fes), Eric Sekou Chelle (Valenciennes), Adama Tamboura (Helsingborg), Sammy Traore (AJ Auxerre)

Midfielders:
Soumaila Coulibaly (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Drissa Diakite (Nice), Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid), Alphousseini Keita (Le Mans), Seydou Keita (Sevilla), Djibril Sidibe (Chateauroux), Momo Sissoko (Liverpool), Bassala Toure (Levadiakos), Mahamane Traore (Nice)