Kalou opts for Ivory Coast

Feyenoord's Salomon Kalou has given up his quest for Dutch citizenship and wants to play for the Ivory Coast after the World Cup.

In an interview with the Dutch weekly magazine Sportweek the younger brother of Ivory Coast captain Bonaventure Kalou said he will no longer pursue his application for a Dutch passport.

"The book is closed and after the World Cup I will do what I promised my brother, play for Ivory Coast," he said.

Supported by Netherlands boss Marco van Basten and the country's former playmaker Johan Cruyff, Kalou applied for Dutch citizenship but was denied by immigration minister Rita Verdonk.

She told parliament in March that Kalou did not fulfil the criteria for fast-track citizenship and would have to retake a Dutch language and culture test.