Ivory_Coast_national_football_team

Ivory Coast national football team

Ivory Coast national football team

Men's association football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Ivory Coast women's national football team.

The Ivory Coast national football team (French: Équipe de football de Côte d'Ivoire, recognized as the Côte d'Ivoire by FIFA[2]) represents Ivory Coast in men's international football. Nicknamed the Elephants, the team is managed by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF). The team has won the Africa Cup of Nations three times, in 1992, 2015 and 2023, and has qualified for the FIFA World Cup three times, in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

Quick Facts Nickname(s), Association ...

Ivory Coasts's home colours are all orange. Since 2020 their home games have been played at Alassane Ouattara Stadium, in Abidjan. Prior to this their home ground was Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, also in Abidjan. Didier Zokora holds the record for number of caps, with 123. The nation's leading goalscorer is Didier Drogba, who scored 65 goals for the Elephants in 105 Appearances.

History

1960s

The team played its first international match against Dahomey, now known as Benin, which they won 3–2 on 13 April 1960 in Madagascar.

The team took a large 11–0 victory against the Central African Republic. In 1961 the team made their first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations. After gaining independence from France, the team finished third in the 1963 and 1965 tournaments.

1970s

Ivory Coast's performances in the 1970s were mixed. In the 1970 African Cup of Nations, the team finished top of their group, but lost to Ghana – the powerhouses of African football at the time – in the semi-finals, and went on to finish 4th after losing the third-place play-off to the United Arab Republic (now Egypt). They failed to qualify for the 1972 edition, losing 4–3 to Congo-Brazzaville in the final qualifying round. They qualified in 1974 but finished bottom of their group with only a single point, then failed to qualify in 1976, again losing to Congo-Brazzaville (now simply known as the Congo) in the first round.

The team initially qualified for 1978, beating Mali 2–1 on aggregate, but were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the second leg. Mali were also disqualified, due to police and stadium security assaulting the match officials during the first leg, and so Upper Volta, who Ivory Coast had beaten in the first qualifying round, inherited their place.

1980s

In 1984, the team hosted the African Cup of Nations for the first time, but failed to get out of their group. In 1986, they narrowly qualified from their group on goals scored, and went on to finish third once more, beating Morocco 3–2 in the third-place play-off.

1990s

At the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast beat Algeria 3–0 and drew 0–0 with Congo to finish top of their group. An extra-time victory over Zambia and a penalty shoot-out win over Cameroon took them to the final for the first time, where they faced Ghana. The match again went to a penalty shoot-out, which became (at the time) the highest-scoring in international football; Ivory Coast eventually triumphed 11–10 to win the title for the first time. They were unable to defend their title in 1994, losing to Nigeria in the semi-finals.

The Ivory Coast team is notable for having participated in (and won) the two highest-scoring penalty shoot-outs in international football competition — the 24-shot shoot-out in the final of the 1992 African Cup of Nations when Ghana was defeated 11–10, and the 24-shot shoot-out in the quarter-final of the 2006 African Cup of Nations, when Cameroon was defeated 12–11. In 2015, Ivory Coast once again defeated Ghana in the final of an 2015 African Cup of Nations with a 22-shot shoot-out, winning 9–8.

2000s and World Cup debut

In October 2005, Ivory Coast secured qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which was to be their first-ever appearance at the tournament. Having been drawn into a "Group of Death" that also featured Cameroon and Egypt, Ivory Coast went into the final match second behind Cameroon, but qualified after beating Sudan 3–1 while Cameroon could only draw with Egypt.

In the tournament itself, Ivory Coast were drawn into another Group of Death, against Argentina, Holland, and Serbia and Montenegro. They lost 2–1 to Argentina – with Didier Drogba scoring the team's first-ever World Cup goal in the 82nd minute – and then 2–1 to the Netherlands, meaning they had already been eliminated by the time they played Serbia and Montenegro. Despite going 2–0 down after just 20 minutes, Ivory Coast came back to win 3–2, with Bonaventure Kalou scoring an 86th-minute penalty to give Ivory Coast their first-ever World Cup victory.

After Uli Stielike left before the 2008 African Cup of Nations, due to his son's health, co-trainer Gerard Gili took his position. To compensate of the lack of another co-coach, Didier Drogba acted as a player-coach. This was only the second time that a player had also acted as a coach at the tournament, after George Weah was both player and coach for Liberia during the 2002 tournament.

2010s

Ivory Coast national team lineup before a match against Poland in 2010

Ivory Coast qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and were again drawn in a "Group of Death", against five-time champions Brazil, Portugal, and North Korea. Having managed a 0–0 draw against Portugal, a 3–1 defeat to Brazil meant that in order to qualify from their group, they would have to beat North Korea, Brazil needed to beat Portugal, and (thanks to Portugal's 7–0 win over North Korea) there needed to be a substantial swing in goal difference. Ivory Coast won 3–0, but Portugal held Brazil to a 0–0 draw and Ivory Coast were once again eliminated in the group stages.

Logo until 2014

The team made a third appearance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where they were drawn in Group C against Colombia, Greece, and Japan. After coming from behind to beat Japan 2–1, Ivory Coast then lost 2–1 to Colombia, leaving their qualification in the balance. In their final match against Greece, the score was 1–1 going into stoppage time, and with Japan losing 4–1 to Colombia, Ivory Coast looked set to qualify. However, in the 93rd minute, Giovanni Sio gave away a penalty which Georgios Samaras converted, giving Greece both the victory and the place in the last 16; Ivory Coast, meanwhile, went out in the group stage for the third tournament in a row.

In 2015, the national team won the Africa Cup of Nations for a second time in Equatorial Guinea, defeating Ghana in a penalty shoot-out after a scoreless game.

The team's streak of World Cup qualifications came to an end at the 2018 tournament. Needing a win in their final match against Morocco, they instead lost 2–0, meaning Morocco qualified instead.

2020s

In early 2024, Ivory Coast hosted the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time.[3] Following a 4–0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea and third-placed finish in the group stage, coach Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed, and assistant coach Emerse Faé was hired as caretaker in the knockout stages, as the national team qualified as one of the best third-placed teams. Later on, Ivory Coast managed to defeat the defending champions Senegal in the penalty shoot-outs, Mali after extra-time, and DR Congo in the semi-finals.[4] They eventually won the title, defeating Nigeria 2–1 in the final, marking their third victory.[5] For the first time in the history of the African Cup of Nations, it was won by a team that changed coaches during the tournament.

Home stadium

From 1964 to 2020, Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, a 50,000-seater stadium in Abidjan was the main venue used to host home matches. In 2020, the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium, also in Abidjan, was opened ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations.[6]

Supporters

Supporters of the Elephants are known to be among the most colorful in Africa. At Ivory Coast matches, the Elephants supporter sections typically include a percussion band that mimics the sounds of an elephant traveling through a forest.

Results and fixtures

Main article: Ivory Coast national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

17 June 2023 AFCON qualification Zambia  3–0  Ivory Coast Ndola, Zambia
15:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Levy Mwanawasa Stadium
Referee: Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)
9 September 2023 AFCON qualification Ivory Coast  1–0  Lesotho San-Pédro, Ivory Coast
16:00 UTC±0
Report Stadium: Laurent Pokou Stadium, San-Pédro
Referee: Samuel Uwikunda (Rwanda)
14 October Friendly Ivory Coast  1–1  Morocco Abidjan, Ivory Coast
 Report
Stadium: Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium
17 October Friendly Ivory Coast  1–1  South Africa Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Report Stadium: Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium
Referee: Benoit Badot (Burkina Faso)
17 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Ivory Coast  9–0  Seychelles Abidjan, Ivory Coast
19:00 UTC±0
Report Stadium: Stade Olympique d'Ebimpé
Referee: Adalbert Diouf (Senegal)
20 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Gambia  0–2  Ivory Coast Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
17:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Benjamin Mkapa (National Stadium)
Referee: Jalal Jayed (Morocco)

2024

6 January Friendly Ivory Coast  5–1  Sierra Leone San Pedro, Ivory Coast
17:00 UTC±0}
Report
Stadium: Laurent Pokou Stadium
Referee: Dedjinnanchi Ahomlanto (Benin)
13 January 2023 AFCON GS Ivory Coast  2–0  Guinea-Bissau Abidjan, Ivory Coast
20:00
Report Stadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Attendance: 36,858
Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)
18 January 2023 AFCON GS Ivory Coast  0–1  Nigeria Abidjan, Ivory Coast
20:00 Report
Stadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Attendance: 49,517[7]
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
22 January 2023 AFCON GS Equatorial Guinea  4–0  Ivory Coast Abidjan, Ivory Coast
20:00
Report Stadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
29 January 2023 AFCON R16 Senegal  1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)		  Ivory Coast Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
 Report
Stadium: Charles Konan Banny Stadium
Attendance: 19,948[8]
Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
Penalties
3 February 2023 AFCON QF Mali  1–2 (a.e.t.)  Ivory Coast Bouaké, Ivory Coast
 Report
Stadium: Stade de la Paix
Attendance: 39,836[9]
Referee: Mohamed Adel (Egypt)
7 February 2023 AFCON SF Ivory Coast  1–0  DR Congo Abidjan, Ivory Coast
 Report Stadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Attendance: 51,020[10]
Referee: Ibrahim Mutaz (Libya)
11 February 2023 AFCON F Nigeria  1–2  Ivory Coast Abidjan, Ivory Coast
20:00 Troost-Ekong 38' Report
Stadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
23 March Friendly Ivory Coast  2–2  Benin Amiens, France
16:00
Report
Stadium: Stade de la Licorne
26 March Friendly Ivory Coast  2–1  Uruguay Lens, France
19:30
Report
Stadium: Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)
7 June 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Ivory Coast  v  Gabon Korhogo, Ivory Coast
Stadium: Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
10 June 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Kenya  v  Ivory Coast TBD, Kenya

2025

March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Burundi  v  Ivory Coast TBD, Burundi
March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Ivory Coast  v  Gambia TBD, Ivory Coast
September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Ivory Coast  v  Burundi TBD, Ivory Coast
September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Gabon  v  Ivory Coast TBD, Gabon
October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Seychelles  v  Ivory Coast TBD, Seychelles
October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Ivory Coast  v  Kenya TBD, Ivory Coast

Coaching staff

More information Position, Name ...

Coaching history

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the friendly against Uruguay on 26 March 2024 respectively.[11]

Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Uruguay.[12]

More information No., Pos. ...

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last twelve months and are still eligible to represent.

More information Pos., Player ...

Records

As of 23 March 2024[13]
Players in bold are still active with Ivory Coast.

Most capped players

Didier Zokora, the all-time most capped player for Ivory Coast.
More information Rank, Player ...

Top goalscorers

Didier Drogba, the all-time top goalscorer for Ivory Coast.
More information Rank, Player ...

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

See also: Ivory Coast at the FIFA World Cup
More information FIFA World Cup, Qualification ...

Africa Cup of Nations

Main article: Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations
More information Africa Cup of Nations record, Year ...
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
***Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

African Nations Championship

More information African Nations Championship record, Appearances: 5 ...

FIFA Confederations Cup

More information FIFA Confederations Cup record, Year ...

African Games

See also: Ivory Coast national under-23 football team
More information African Games record, Year ...

CECAFA Cup

Main article: CECAFA Cup

Honours

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  2. [2]
    "FIFA". fifa.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021.
  3. [3]
    "Cote d'Ivoire agrees CAF timetable shift". CAFOnline.com. 30 January 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  4. [4]
    "Host nation Ivory Coast continues miraculous run to AFCON final to set up a matchup against Nigeria". CNN. 11 February 2024.
  5. [5]
    "Nigeria 1–2 Ivory Coast". BBC Sport. 11 February 2024.
  6. [6]
    "AFCON 2023: Ivory Coast opens 60,000-seater stadium". Vanguard News. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  7. [7]
    "Côte d'Ivoire vs Nigeria match Report". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  8. [8]
    "Match Report of Senegal vs Côte d'Ivoire – 2024-01-29 – TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations – Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  9. [9]
    "Mali vs Côte d'Ivoire match Report". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  10. [10]
    "Côte d'Ivoire vs DR Congo match Report". Global Sports Archive. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  11. [11]
    "Côte d'Ivoire : la 1ère liste de Faé, avec un nouveau de Rennes, et sans 3 champions d'Afrique !". 11 March 2024.
  12. [12]
    "Ivory Coast vs. Uruguay".
  13. [13]
    Roberto Mamrud. "IvoryCoast – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
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