#1.Cote d’Ivoire 🇨🇮
Population: 29,208,940
Nickname: The Elephants
Appearances: 25th in 2023
Last Appearance: 2021
Coach: Jean-Louis Gasset, (France)
Best AFCON results: Winners (1992,2005)
Skipper: Frank Kessie
Player to watch: Sebastien Haller
Region: WAFU
CAF Rankings: 9
FIFA Rankings: 50
Most Caps: Didier Zokora (123)
Top Scorer: Didier Drogba (65)
Ivory Coast moved two places higher in the November’s FIFA Rankings from 52 to 50. This suggests that the Elephants have improved under Jean-Louis Gasset. Ivory Coast is the most experienced team in the competition just behind Egypt (25) in terms of appearances. Ivory Coast has seen more stars since 2006 and still boasts of bonafide stars that can hurt any opponent on any day. Ivory Coast opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with back-to-back wins over Sehyelles and Gambia with 5-star performances.
Expectations are very high back home as they are expected to host and win the tournament albeit, the Elephants flatter to deceive.
Top-notch players like Sebastien Haller, Serge Aurier, Wilfred Zaha, Simon Adingra, Frank Kessie, Sekou Fofana and Ibrahim Sangare are expected to lead Ivory Coast to their 3rd AFCON trophy at home.
The core of the team
Ivory Coast has produced very few goalkeepers since Alain Gouamene but they now have a very good goalkeeper in the 23-year-old French-born Yahia Fofana. The Angers SCO number one is expected to be Ivory Coast’s number.
Aurier, Ndicka and Willy Boly are due to lead Ivory Coast at the back.
The midfield trio of Fofana, Kessie and Sangare will be too hot to handle.
Haller, Zaha and young Adingra will form a strong partnership for Ivory Coast in attack.
Probable 11
4-3-3
Fofana
Aurier, Boly, Ndicka, Konan
Sangare, Kessie, Fofana
Adingra, Haller, Kouame
Notable legends: Laurent Pokou, Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Jiel Tiehi, Alain Gouamene, Didier Zokora, Kolo Toure, Ibrahima Bakayoko
Expectations: Semi-finals
- FIXTURES
- Ivory coast v Guinea Bissau
- Ivory Coast v Nigeria
- Equatorial Guinea v Ivory Coast
