The Elephants open their qualifying campaign in style
Ivory Coast made a clean start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Elephants beat old rivals Ghana 2-0 on Thursday in their Group C opener. It was the kind of win that puts the defending African champions straight at the top of the section.
The Ivory Coast goals came from Yalcoule and Franck Kessie. The former Barca and AC Milan midfielder, now with Al-Ahli, showed once again why he’s still trusted in this squad, even with a club career that no longer draws the same spotlight it once did in Europe.
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Kessie still delivers for the national side
Franck Kessie has been one of Ivory Coast’s mainstays for several years now. An African champion in 2024, the midfielder has already made his mark in major continental moments for his country. His goal against Ghana was another reminder that he remains central to the Ivorians, even in a slightly more advanced role than usual.
Ghana, meanwhile, have made a poor start to the competition. The Black Stars will need to respond quickly on matchday two or risk damaging their hopes of securing direct qualification for the tournament, which will be staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in 2027.
A Group C already under pressure
This win puts Ivory Coast in a strong position for the rest of the qualifying run. The schedule now gets moving, with another fixture lined up in the coming days. The question is whether the Elephants can back up this statement victory against opponents who will be desperate to hit back.
Winners of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, the Ivorians head into these qualifiers as favourites in almost every group. That brings extra pressure, of course, but also the kind of hard-earned experience that came from their title run, when they had to clear several hurdles before lifting the trophy in front of their own fans in Abidjan.
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