Ivory Coast 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[3]) 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.

Ivory Coast
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Les Éléphants (The Elephants)
AssociationFédération Ivorienne de Football (FIF)
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachEmerse Faé
CaptainSerge Aurier
Most capsDidier Zokora (123)
Top scorerDidier Drogba (65)
Home stadiumStade Alassane Ouattara
FIFA codeCIV
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 38 Increase 1 (4 April 2024)[1]
Highest12 (February 2013, April–May 2013)
Lowest75 (March–May 2004)
First international
 Ivory Coast 3–2 Dahomey 
(Madagascar, 13 April 1960)
Biggest win
 Ivory Coast 11–0 Central African Republic 
(Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 27 December 1961)
Biggest defeat
 Netherlands 5–0 Ivory Coast 
(Rotterdam, Netherlands; 4 June 2017)
World Cup
Appearances3 (first in 2006)
Best resultGroup stage (2006, 2010, 2014)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances25 (first in 1965)
Best resultChampions (1992, 2015, 2024)
African Nations Championship
Appearances5 (first in 2009)
Best resultThird place (2016)
FIFA Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 1992)
Best resultFourth place (1992)
Websitefifciv.com

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.[4] 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.[5] They eventually won the title, defeating Nigeria 2–1 in the final, marking their third victory.[6] 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.[7]

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

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

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

2024

v  Sierra Leone
6 January Friendly Ivory Coast  5–1  Sierra Leone San Pedro, Ivory Coast
17:00 UTC±0}
ReportStadium: Laurent Pokou Stadium
Referee: Dedjinnanchi Ahomlanto (Benin)
v  Guinea-Bissau
13 January 2023 AFCON GS Ivory Coast  2–0  Guinea-Bissau Abidjan, Ivory Coast
20:00ReportStadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Attendance: 36,858
Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)
v  Nigeria
18 January 2023 AFCON GS Ivory Coast  0–1  Nigeria Abidjan, Ivory Coast
20:00ReportStadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Attendance: 49,517[8]
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
v  Ivory Coast
22 January 2023 AFCON GS Equatorial Guinea  4–0  Ivory Coast Abidjan, Ivory Coast
20:00
ReportStadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
v  Ivory Coast
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[10]
Referee: Mohamed Adel (Egypt)
v  DR Congo
7 February 2023 AFCON SF Ivory Coast  1–0  DR Congo Abidjan, Ivory Coast
ReportStadium: Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Attendance: 51,020[11]
Referee: Ibrahim Mutaz (Libya)
v  Benin
23 March Friendly Ivory Coast  2–2  Benin Amiens, France
16:00Report
Stadium: Stade de la Licorne
v  Uruguay
26 March Friendly Ivory Coast  2–1  Uruguay Lens, France
19:30Report
Stadium: Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)

2025

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

Coaching staff

PositionName
Head coach Emerse Faé
Assistant coaches Guy Demel
Ousmane Bakayoko
Goalkeeping coach François Kouakou
Doctor Rodrigue Kouassi
Physiotherapists Aurélien Koffi
Gervais Soumaré
Bakary Mendy
Masseur Patrice Ouattara
Ostheopath Mahamadou Bakayoko
Team nutritionist Elysée Sawadogo
Team cook Aminata Sidibé
Ezechiel Koné
Yahia Diawara
Team coordinator Alphonse Sangaré
Technical director Boubacar Barry
Head of delegation Didier Zokora

Coaching history

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the friendly against Uruguay on 26 March 2024 respectively.[12]

Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Uruguay.[13]

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
1GKBadra Ali Sangaré (1986-05-30) 30 May 1986 (age 37)310 Sekhukhune United
11GKYahia Fofana (2000-08-21) 21 August 2000 (age 23)150 Angers
161GKIssa Fofana (2004-01-30) 30 January 2004 (age 20)00 Al-Hilal
231GKMohamed Koné (2002-03-07) 7 March 2002 (age 22)00 Le Havre

32DFGhislain Konan (1995-12-27) 27 December 1995 (age 28)390 Al-Fayha
72DFOdilon Kossounou (2001-01-04) 4 January 2001 (age 23)230 Bayer Leverkusen
122DFWilly Boly (1991-02-03) 3 February 1991 (age 33)211 Nottingham Forest
52DFWilfried Singo (2000-12-25) 25 December 2000 (age 23)200 Monaco
22DFOusmane Diomande (2003-12-04) 4 December 2003 (age 20)71 Sporting CP
62DFEmmanuel Agbadou (1997-06-07) 7 June 1997 (age 26)60 Reims
172DFGuéla Doué (2002-10-17) 17 October 2002 (age 21)21 Rennes
262DFIsmaël Diallo (1997-01-29) 29 January 1997 (age 27)10 Hajduk Split

83MFFranck Kessié (1996-12-19) 19 December 1996 (age 27)7811 Al-Ahli
43MFJean Michaël Seri (1991-07-19) 19 July 1991 (age 32)564 Hull City
3MFIbrahim Sangaré (1997-12-02) 2 December 1997 (age 26)4211 Nottingham Forest
3MFSeko Fofana (1995-05-07) 7 May 1995 (age 28)206 Al-Ettifaq
273MFJean Thierry Lazare Amani (1998-03-07) 7 March 1998 (age 26)51 Union Saint-Gilloise
253MFIdrissa Doumbia (1998-04-14) 14 April 1998 (age 26)40 Al Ahli
183MFPeodoh Pacome Zouzoua (1997-04-30) 30 April 1997 (age 26)40 Young Africans
203MFKader Keïta (2000-11-06) 6 November 2000 (age 23)10 CFR Cluj

194FWNicolas Pépé (1995-05-29) 29 May 1995 (age 28)4410 Trabzonspor
134FWJérémie Boga (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 27)202 Nice
114FWJean-Philippe Krasso (1997-07-17) 17 July 1997 (age 26)174 Red Star Belgrade
104FWKarim Konaté (2004-03-21) 21 March 2004 (age 20)152 Red Bull Salzburg
144FWOumar Diakité (2003-12-20) 20 December 2003 (age 20)132 Reims
244FWSimon Adingra (2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 22)122 Brighton & Hove Albion
94FWJonathan Bamba (1996-03-26) 26 March 1996 (age 28)91 Celta Vigo

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.

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
GKCharles Folly Ayayi (1990-12-29) 29 December 1990 (age 33)20 ASEC Mimosasv.  Benin, 23 March 2024 PRE
GKIra Eliezer Tapé (1997-08-31) 31 August 1997 (age 26)20 Bahir Dar Kenema2023 AFCON PRE

DFEvan Ndicka (1999-08-20) 20 August 1999 (age 24)130 Romav.  Benin, 23 March 2024 PRE
DFSerge Aurier (captain) (1992-12-24) 24 December 1992 (age 31)934 Galatasaray2023 AFCON
DFEric Bailly (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 30)492 Villarreal2023 AFCON PRE
DFSimon Deli (1991-10-27) 27 October 1991 (age 32)270 Adana Demirspor2023 AFCON PRE
DFSinaly Diomandé (2001-04-09) 9 April 2001 (age 23)110 Lyon2023 AFCON PRE
DFHassane Kamara (1994-03-05) 5 March 1994 (age 30)90 Udinese2023 AFCON PRE
DFAbakar Sylla (2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 21)60 Strasbourg2023 AFCON PRE
DFKoffi Kouao (1998-05-20) 20 May 1998 (age 25)00 Metz2023 AFCON PRE
DFBamo Meïté (2001-12-03) 3 December 2001 (age 22)00 Marseille2023 AFCON PRE
DFChristopher Opéri (1997-04-29) 29 April 1997 (age 26)00 Le Havre2023 AFCON PRE
DFAnthony Tra Bi Tra (1998-12-27) 27 December 1998 (age 25)00 ASEC Mimosas2023 AFCON PRE
DFArmel Zohouri (2001-04-05) 5 April 2001 (age 23)00 Sheriff Tiraspol2023 AFCON PRE

MFJean-Philippe Gbamin (1995-12-25) 25 December 1995 (age 28)160 Dunkerque2023 AFCON PRE
MFHamed Traorè (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 24)102 Napoli2023 AFCON PRE
MFAmad Diallo (2002-07-11) 11 July 2002 (age 21)41 Manchester United2023 AFCON PRE
MFPaul Akouokou (1997-12-20) 20 December 1997 (age 26)40 Lyon2023 AFCON PRE
MFJean N'Guessan (2003-04-17) 17 April 2003 (age 21)10 Metz2023 AFCON PRE

FWChristian Kouamé (1997-12-06) 6 December 1997 (age 26)293 Fiorentina2023 AFCON
FWSébastien Haller (1994-06-22) 22 June 1994 (age 29)2510 Borussia Dortmund2023 AFCON
FWWilfried Zaha (1992-11-10) 10 November 1992 (age 31)335 Galatasaray2023 AFCON PRE
FWMaxwel Cornet (1996-09-27) 27 September 1996 (age 27)316 West Ham United2023 AFCON PRE
FWJean Evrard Kouassi (1994-09-25) 25 September 1994 (age 29)131 Zhejiang2023 AFCON PRE
FWDavid Datro Fofana (2002-12-22) 22 December 2002 (age 21)30 Burnley2023 AFCON PRE
FWEvann Guessand (2001-07-01) 1 July 2001 (age 22)00 Nice2023 AFCON PRE
FWBénie Traoré (2002-11-30) 30 November 2002 (age 21)00 Nantes2023 AFCON PRE

  • DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up.
  • INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
  • PRE Preliminary Squad.
  • SUS Suspended from the national team.

Records

As of 23 March 2024[14]
Players in bold are still active with Ivory Coast.

Most capped players

Didier Zokora, the all-time most capped player for Ivory Coast.
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1Didier Zokora12312000–2014
2Kolo Touré12072000–2015
3Max Gradel113182011–2024
4Didier Drogba105652002–2014
5Yaya Touré101192004–2015
6Siaka Tiéné10022000–2015
7Salomon Kalou96272007–2017
8Serge Aurier9342013–present
9Abdoulaye Traoré90491984–1996
10Arthur Boka8812004–2015

Top goalscorers

Didier Drogba, the all-time top goalscorer for Ivory Coast.
RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer
1Didier Drogba (list)651050.622002–2014
2Abdoulaye Traoré49900.541984–1996
3Djohan Tiéhi28500.561985–1999
4Salomon Kalou27960.282007–2017
5Gervinho23860.272007–2021
6Ibrahima Bakayoko22390.561996–2002
7Laurent Pokou21300.71967–1980
8Yaya Touré191010.192004–2015
9Aruna Dindane18620.292000–2010
Max Gradel181130.162011–2024

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World CupQualification
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LFASquadPldWDLFA
1930 to 1958Part of  FrancePart of  France
1962Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member
1966 and 1970Did not enterDid not enter
1974Did not qualify632187
197863211110
1982Did not enterDid not enter
1986Did not qualify411265
1990412151
19948431126
1998201112
2002105412210
2006Group stage19th310256Squad10712207
201017th311143Squad12840296
201421st310245Squad8530197
2018Did not qualify8422115
20226411103
2026To be determined2200110
2030 To be determined
2034
TotalGroup stage3/15931513148847261516672

Africa Cup of Nations

Africa Cup of Nations record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGA
1957Part of  France
1959
1962Not affiliated to CAF
1963
1965Third place3rd320154
1968Third place3rd531196
1970Fourth place4th5212119
1972Did not qualify
1974Group stage7th301225
1976Did not qualify
1978Banned
1980Group stage6th302123
1982Did not enter
1984Group stage5th310244
1986Third place3rd530275
1988Group stage6th303022
19906th310235
1992Champions1st523040
1994Third place3rd5311115
1996Group stage11th310225
1998Quarter-finals7th4220106
2000Group stage9th311134
200216th301214
2004Did not qualify
2006Runners-up2nd632165
2008Fourth place4th6402169
2010Quarter-finals8th311154
2012Runners-up2nd651090
2013Quarter-finals5th421185
2015Champions1st633094
2017Group stage11th302123
2019Quarter-finals5th531173
2021Round of 1610th422063
2023Champions1st741288
2025To be determined
2027To be determined
Total3 Titles25/36106483028152111
*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

African Nations Championship record
Appearances: 5
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGA
2009Group stage8th301204
2011Group stage12th310224
2014Did not qualify
2016Third place3rd6402104
2018Group stage14th301203
2020Did not qualify
2022Quarter-finals6th411233
TotalThird place5/71963101518

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGASquad
1992Fourth place4th200229Squad
1995 to 2017Did not qualify
TotalFourth place1/10200229

African Games

African Games record
YearRankPldWDLGFGA
19653000000
19875000000
Total2/4000000

CECAFA Cup

Honours

See also

References

External links