International break: a mixed assessment for the Ivory Coast Elephants

Côte d'Ivoire has recently completed an international window marked by two victories in the CAF Champions League qualifiers for 2027, followed by a defeat in a friendly match. Under the leadership of Hervé Renard, who has returned to manage the team, the Ivorians showed promising signs in their quest for qualification, although their last match was less convincing.

On September 24, 2026, at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, the Elephants started strong with a 2-0 win against Ghana. Malick Yalcouyé opened the scoring before Franck Kessié converted a penalty to secure the victory. Five days later, in their match against Somalia, the Ivorians had to wait until the dying moments to make the breakthrough. Yann Gboho broke the deadlock in the 89th minute, followed by Bazoumana Touré, who sealed the score in stoppage time (2-0).

The window concluded on October 3 with a defeat against Cameroon (0-1) at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpé. The Indomitable Lions found the net shortly after halftime through Bil Nsongo. Despite this defeat, the Elephants' record in the qualifiers remains encouraging: six points from two matches, no goals conceded, and first place in Group C, ahead of Gambia on goal difference.