 Bamba was selected in the Ivory Coast's 23-man World Cup squad, but was dropped from the starting lineup, with midfielder Didier Zokora chosen to partner with Kolo Touré in central defence.Bamba resumed his partnership with Touré in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.Ivory Coast did not concede a goal during the entire tournament, but lost the final against Zambia on a penalty shootout.