Ivory Coast brush aside Ghana wit dominant 2 - 0 win for 2027 Afcon qualifier

Di Elephants of Ivory Coast don sama di Black Stars of Ghana for dis opening 2027 Afcon qualifiers.

Ghana enta dis game as underdogs afta up to six of dia key players withdraw from dia squad sake of injury.

Ivory Coast begin di game for di front foot wit dia star players Yan Diomande and Nicolas Pepe for di wings.

Di two players cause plenty wahala to di Ghana defenders di whole game.

Afta some early chances di Ivorians bin create, dem no fit score until di brink of halftime when dem score.

20-year-old Brighton player Malick Yalcouye bin shoot from outside di box afta di Black Stars fail to clear one cross for dia yard.

Di goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi and midfielders Kwasi Sibo and Caleb Yirenkyi gatz do beta to close di player down bifor im strike di ball.

Afta di break, Ivorian team continue to create more chances - Yan Diomande especially bin pepper di Ghana defenders di whole game.

Im dribble dem wia im use im pace to create chance after chance for di Elephants.

Dem no fit score despite dia plenty chances until di 58th minute when Malick Yalcouye bin win penalty.

Ghana winger Fatawu Issahaku bin rush to push di player for di box, na so ref don point to di spot.

Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie bin step up to score di penalty despite protest by di Ghana players.

Ghana bin make changes to try and find goal but dem no fit score even though dem manage to create some clean chances for di end of di game.

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz bin vex for di touchline; im players dey pass di ball for dia defence when dem suppose pepper di Ivorian box to try and score.

For di end, Ivory Coast hold on to win di game 2-0 and gather all three points for match day one for di 2027 Afcon qualifiers for Group C.

Ghana go next jam wit Gambia for 29 September for Accra as di kontri try to qualify for di tournament wia dem wan play for since dem miss di 2025 edition for Morocco.

Second Half

FULLTIME!

90+3" Ghana players dey pass di ball for dia defense when dem for dey try to attack to get goal. Dia coach Carlos Quieroz don vex.

90+2" Chaaaance! Augustine boakye use left boot to try to curl one ball into di far corner. Di ball don miss di post by inches.

Di game don comot Ghana hands. Dem still no fit get one shot on target despite dia late show.

90+1" Afena Gyan bin get chance - wia im balloon di ball. Dat shot fit comot di ball from di stadium serf

Ref don add +4 mins

88" Chance! Fatawu Issahaku get anoda chance wia i try to bend di ball into di far corner but im ballon di ball into row Z.

87" Chaaance! Anoda big chance for Ghana don miss. Afena Gyan get chance to meet one cross but im decide to head di ball back instead say im go score and di chance don vanish.

85" Yellow card for Oulai as im stop Ghana from taking one quick freekick.

84" Ivory Coast attack again thru Nicolas Pepe, Ghana keeper ATi-Zigi don catch im cross.

83" Yan Diomande don dey use im pace and skill to dribble plenty Ghana player wey im almost get chance to score.

81" Wahi wey don enta di game for di second half for Ivory Coast don win freekick.

79" Freekick to Ghana. Gideon Mensah strike di ball into di box, Benjamin Tetteh meet di cross but goalkeeper Fofana catch am easy.

77" Chaaaance for ivory Coast. Luck Zogbe shoot on target, di ball don hiot di side net.

76" Chaaance! Ghana counter attack wia di ball fall for Benjamin Tetteh, im fail to shoot di ball at once, di ball fall for Caleb Yirenkyi, im shoot straight at di keeper.

Ghana no fit keep possession for up to 30 seconds serf.

74" Ghana try to create chance for di far side, but Caleb Yirenkyi don dash di ball to opponent.

72" Goalkeeper Fofana don comot to catch one long ball into im box.

Sangare and Ange Bonny don comot for Ivory Coast.

70" Jonas Adjetey and Ibrahim Sulemana don dey enta di pitch now. Djiku and Oppong Peprah don comot.

68" Ghana captain Alex Djiku don hurt, im dey comot di game now.

67" Luck Zogbe attack from di right wing wia im enta di box, but Gideon Mensah block am wia im win goalkick.

66" Goalkick to Ghana. But dem give di ball straight back to Ivory Coast.

65" Yan Diomade try to create chance for di Ghana area, but Fatawu Issahakku bin trcak back to clear di ball.

63" Augustine Boakye, Felix Afena Gyan and Benjamine Tetteh don dey enta di game. Christopher Binsu, Ernest Nuamah and Thomas Asante don comot.

62" Ghana still no fit create any proper chance. Dia coach bin dey bring on three players.

61" Fatawu Issahaku enter di Ivorian box and try to create sometin. But im lose di ball bifor im fall down dey search penalty.

60" Corner kick to Ivory Coast. Ghana don give away dat corner under no pressure.

Ghana now get tough task to overturn dis scoreline. Di Black Stars no even create one chance for 60 minutes.

57" Franck Kessie score from di penalty spot. 2-0

Referee don show yellow card to Christopher Bonsu Baah sake of im dey complain say dem no give am freekick when dem foul am bifor Ivory Coast get dia chance.

55" Fatawu Issahaku foul Malick Yalcouye inside di Ghana box.

PENALTY TO IVORY COAST!

53" Yan Diomande beat Djiku wia im cross into di Ghana box; no Ivorian player fit connect.

51" Ernest Nuamah get di ball, pass am to Thomas Asante but defender Ndicka clear di ball.

50" Oppong Peprah don foul Yan Diomande. Di Elephants take di freekick wia dem begin to pass di ball around.

49" Poor cross by Christopher Bonsu Baah to give Ivory Coast di goalkick.

48" Black Stars dey try to create sometin from di area.

47" Goalkick for Ghana. Ivorians play di corner wia Sangare head am ova di bar.

Di Black Stars waste di freekick wey dem now concede corner under no pressure at all.

46" Offside. Dem don catch Yan Diomande for offside bifor Ghana now win freekick.

45" Ghana don start di second half.

Ref don blow whistle for di game to restart.

Time go tell if di Black Stars go fir recover.

E no dey clear wia di goal for Ghana fit come from at dis time as dem no play any shot on target for di first 45 minutes.

Di Black Stars get ogbonge task to try and come back from dis 1-0 score.

First Half

HALFTIME!

45+1 " Second yellow card for di game afta goalscorer Malick Yalcouye bin foul di Ghana player

Di freekick dey waste.

45" Ghana win dia first corner afta Ernest Nuamah try some footwork inside di Ivorian box.

Di Brighton star player bin shoot dat ball from outside di box to beat At-Zigi

Goooooallll! Malick Yalcouye smash di ball inside di net. Ivory Coast 1-0

43" Ghana no fit hold on to possession when dem win di ball.

41" Malick Yalcouye bin dive inside di Ghana box dey try to win penalty. But ref say goalkick.

40" Freekick to Ivory Coast. Yirenkyi foul Sangare for di center area.

39" Ghana defender Gideon Mensah dash di ball to im opponent, Ivory Coast attack thru Diomande and Pepe; Ghana clear dia lines again.

37" Nicolas Pepe don play di freekick into di Ghana box, but referee blow whistle for foul afta dem push di Ghana defender

36" Freekick again to Ivory Coast Malick Yalcouye try to go thru di Ghana legs bifor Christopher Bonsu Baah block am for foul.

35" Freekick to Ivory Coast afta Fatawu Issahaku foul Ghislain Konan for di far right side.

34" Ghana striker THomas Asante don get di first yellow card for di game afta im exchange words wit di referee.

32" Corner to Ivory Coast - Yan Diomande play di ball, Ghana try to clear am bifor referee blow whistle for foul.

30" Ibrahim Sangare don sit for floor afta Caleb Yirenkyi push am off di ball wit im body. Di midfielder dey ask for freekick but referee say na fair tackle.

29" Chaaance! Ghana bin hit di Ivorians for di counter attack wey di ball end wit Thomas Asante, but im refuse to shoot wey Ivorians recover and clear di ball.

28" Chaaance! Diomade don dribble di Ghana right back again wey im enta di box and cut di ball to Bonny but di striker miss.

27" Ghana try to attack bifor Nuamah strike di ball. Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz wan make di referee call freekick for di Black Stars but di ref no mind am.

26" Ivory coast dey dominate di possession, more than 60% so far, Ghana don dey manage above 30%

25" Yan Diomande play di freekick short, wey Pepe try to cut di ball back. Ghana try to clear wey dem win foul wit Gideon Mensah.

24" Di Elephants get freekick for di Ghana area afta dem foul Nicolas Pepe, di Villarreal attacker.

Di Ghana midfield dey absent. Ivorians dey cut thru di black Stars midfield like hot knife thru butter.

23" Jerome opoku don carry im body protect di ball wey im win throw-in for Ghana.

21" Kwasi Sibo smash one ball way ova di bar afta Nuamah, Yirenkyi carry di ball wey dem set am up for di edge of di penalty area.

19" Chaaance! Ernest Nuamah try to score from way outside di box as im see di Ivorian keeper off his line, but di effort go wide.

18" Di Ivorians bin get more of di ball since di beginning.

Di Black Stars no fit breathe for one second serf.

16" Anoda big chance by Nicolas Pepe end up outside di area.

Chaaaance! Ivory Coast attack di Ghana area but Nicolas Pepe try to flick di ball into di net wey no work.

Di freekick enta di box, but di header by di Ghanaian defender Jerome Opoku be easy for goalkeeper Fofana to catch

13" Ghana bin win anoda freekick as Luck Zogbe don hack down Christopher Bonsu Baah for di left hand side of di Ivorian area.

12" Ghana win freekick for di center area afta plenty pressure from di Elephants.

11" Ivorian coach Herve Renard dey ask im team to put more pressure.

10" Di Elephants of Ivory Coast don dey play all di ball wey dem dey create all di chances.

Anoda chaaance! Malick Yalcouye get one ball for di center of di box afta Yan Diomande dribble inside di box. Di Brighton player blast di ball ova di bar.

8" So far di Ivorians get all di possession, di Ghanaians no fit hold on when dem get di ball.

7" Chaaaance! Yan Diomande don dribble Oppong Peprah wey im enta di box, but im shot hit di side net.

5" Ghana defender Jerome Opoku clear anoda dangerous ball bifor Ghana try to attack thru Thomas Asante. Di Coventry City striker win freekick wey neva go anywhere.

Chance for Ivory Coast thru Nicolas Pepe, but goalkeeper Ati-Zigi don save di cross.

3" Yan Diomande and Malick Yalcouye already dey cause trouble for di Black Stars

Di Ivorians try to create chance from di far left side, but di cross for di Ghana box dey cleared bifor dem win corner kick.

2" Throw-in for Ivory Coast for dia own area for dis opening minute

Di early seconds of di game don scata as both teams dey try to maintain possession.

1" referee don blow whistle for di game to start for di Stade de la Paix for Bouaké.

Dem dey sing di national anthems for both teams, di action proper go start any moment from now.

Di Elephants of Ivory coast dey dia traditional orange jersey wey di Black Stars dey wear dia white jersey.

Mustapha Ghorbal don lead im oda officials to di park as both set of players also follow.

Welcome everybody to di Stade de la Paix for Ivory Coast for dis ogbonge Afcon qualifier.

Ghana coach release lineup for dia crunch game wit Ivory Coast for di 2027 Afcon qualifier for Group C.

Carlos Queiroz select wetin im believe say na strong team even afta as many as six key players withdraw from di squad sake of injury.

For Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard, di late injury withdrawals to Guela Doué and Kossounou no go affect im team and dia goal.

Di French coach don select strong lineup to face di black Stars of Ghana.

Both coaches say dis game na Africa derby.

Ghana XI: Lawrence Ati-Zigi (GK), Kojo Peprah Oppong, Jerome Opoku, Alexander Djiku, Gideon Mensah, Kwesi Sibo, Caleb Yirenkyi, Christopher Baah Bonsu, Ernest Nuamah, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Thomas Asante

Ivory Coast XI: Yahia Fofana (GK), Ange-Yoan Laurent Bonny, Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Malick Yalcouye, Nclomane Ghislain Konana, Nicolas Pepe, Obite Evan Ndicka, Ousmane Diomande, Luck Zogbe, Yan Diomande

Algerian officials go handle dis game. Mustapha Ghorbal go be centre referee togeda wit Abbes Akram Zerhouni (assistant referee one) and Mokrane Gourari (assistant referee two).

Build Up

Di Black Stars of Ghana dey begin dia 2027 Afcon qualifiers wit ogbonge match against Ivory Coast for Thursday.

Ghana players don already arrive for di Ivorian capital Yamoussoukro ahead of di match wey go happun at 7 PM GMT (8 PM WAT) for di Bouake Stadium.

Both teams sabi diasef well well - even though some of di key players don withdraw sake of injury, di game go still bang.

Ghana don win di Afcon four times for dia history (1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982) wey Ivory Coast bin win am three times (1992, 2015 and 2023).

But di Black Stars neva win di trophy for 44 years, wia dem also fail to qualify for di competition for 2025 Afcon for di first time in 20 years.

Di kontri now dey under plenty pressure to first qualify for di 2027 tournament and try to break di 44-year jinx.

Ghana and Ivory coast dey for Group C wey also get Gambia and Somalia.

Di team go play three games in total for dis three-week international break; dem go first jam Ivory Coast bifor dem meet wit Gambia for 29 September.

Afta dis two Afcon qualifiers, di Black Stars go play friendly match wit Morocco for 4 October.

Ghana and Ivory Coast jam each oda nine times; Ghana bin win four, di Elephants bin win two, wia dem play three draws.

Injury news for both teams

Ahead of di crucial Afcon opening qualifier, Ghana and Ivory Coast bin get plenty injury wahala.

As many as five players bin withdraw from di Ghana Black Stars team sake of injury.

Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo, Sheffield United striker Jordan Ayew wey be captain for di Ghana team, don pull out.

Tottenham Hotspurs player Mohammed Kudus wey just return from injury also decide to withdraw as im continue im recovery; di 26-year-old bin miss di World Cup afta one long injury.

Lorient defender Nathaniel Ajei, PAOK defender Baba Rahman also pull out togeda wit Nice defender Alidu Seidu and Viktoria Plzen striker Prince Kwabena Adu sake of injury.

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz don call oda players to replace di injured squad members for dis international window.

Coventry City striker Thomas Brandon-Asante don get late call-up.

Dem also call three oda attackers – Mohammed Fuseini (Derby County), Benjamin Tetteh (Kalba) and Felix Afena Gyan (Igdir Fk).

Defenders Jonathan Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Ebenezer Annan (Rapid Bucaresti), Alidu Seidu (OGC Nice) and Rockson Yeboah (Osasuna), midfielder Rahim Ibrahim (Slovan Bratislava) also bin get late call-up.

Carlos Queiroz dey hope di replacements to show diasef for dis games.

Ivory Coast manager Herve Renard bin also name strong team for dis game wey include Real Madrid winger Yan Diomande and Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie.

Oda players like 20-year-old Brighton starboy Malick Yalcouye, Villarreal attacker Nicolas Pepe, Inter Milan striker Ange Bonny all dey for di squad.

Herve Renard dey witout Manchester United winger Ahmad Diallo sake of injury wey two key players – Guela Doué (Bayer Leverkusen) and defender Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta) don withdraw for di last-minute sake of injury.

Di coach don call Troyes defender Junior Diaz and Stade Brestois player Luck Zogbe for di games.

Ivory Coast go first jam wit Ghana, bifor dem face Somalia for 29 September and play one friendly match wit Cameroon for 3 October.

Wetin di two coaches tok ahead of di match

Seventy-year-old Carlos Queiroz sabi say dis match na derby game, both teams get plenty quality.

"Dem get skilful players, players wey get power and creativity wey fit hurt any team. Ghana team also get dis kain profile of players, so I dey excited to see di game."

Queiroz add say "di game go dey tight, but at di end, di fans go be di winners sake of dis game na local derby. I hope say my team go be di best team for di pitch, na di best team for di pitch for di day go win."

"We gatz win di first game bifor we tink about di Afcon itsef. We gatz play good match against ogbonge team. Our goal na dis game bifor us now. I hope say Ghana team go get di inspiration to get di points."

Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard don warn im team against pride for dis game.

Im tok say im team get character but dem gatz dey humble even though di Ghana team bin get plenty injuries to dia key players.

"Match between two ogbonge teams like dis go dey tight, na small details go decide am, but we get enough character for games like dis," Herve Renard tok ahead of di game.

Im add say "we get six games to play, sometimes we miss di first step and pass di oda games. We gatz dey humble."

"Dis na major showdown for Africa football. Di Ghana team na good team, di game no go dey easy for anyone."

Possible line up for Ghana and Ivory Coast

Ghana XI:

Asare; Oppong, Adjetey, Opoku, Mensah; Yirenkyi, Sibo, Donkor; Issahaku, Thomas-Asante, Nuamah

Ivory Coast XI:

Fofana; Zogbe, Ndicka, O Diomande, Konan; Kessie, Sangare, Inao; Pepe, Bonny, Y Diomande