Match: Ivory Coast v Ghana Venue: Stade de la Paix (Bouaké) Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) Date: Thursday 24th September 2026 Kick-off: 7 PM
Match: Ivory Coast v Ghana
Venue: Stade de la Paix (Bouaké)
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
Date: Thursday 24th September 2026
Kick-off: 7 PM
Ghana will renew a perennial rivalry against neighbours Ivory Coast on Thursday evening at Stade de la Paix in Bouake, the second-largest city in Ivory Coast.
The 2027 AFCON qualifiers cannot get better than this, with a blockbuster clash between two of the heavyweight sides from West Africa clashing to open the qualifiers.
The Elephant of La Cote d’Ivoire will begin a new era under French tactician Hervé Renard, who won the nation’s second AFCON title in 2015.
The talented tactician replaced Emerse Fae, Ivory Coast’s last AFCON winner, whom the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football refused to renew by not extending his contract.
Hervé Renard, who worked for Ghana as an assistant coach and physical trainer to Claude Le Roy – his first job with an African national team- during the 2008 AFCON, knows both countries’ philosophy in football inside out and will be eager to prove that he remains a top coach despite a disastrous World Cup campaign with Tunisia in North America.
Ghana, on the other hand, will enjoy consistency and continuity in the coaching department with veteran Portuguese gaffer Carlos Queiroz leading the team once again.
Carlos Queiroz, 73, led Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as an interim coach but has agreed to permanently lead the team through the qualifiers and the main AFCON tournament to be staged across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in the summer of 2027.
Team News
Ivory Coast
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo will miss this crucial game, having not played any game for the Red Devils since the commencement of the new season.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid’s Africa’s most expensive player of all time, Yan Diomande, will capture the attention of football fans across the continent with his pace, quick feet and dribbling.
The youngster, who moved to the Spanish capital from Leipzig in a deal worth around 140 million dollars, was sensational at the 2025 AFCON and the 2026 World Cup for the Elephants, and the Ivorian fans will expect him to continue his incredible form against Ghana in Bouake.
Veteran midfielders Frank Kessie and Ibrahim Sangare are set to lead the team as youngsters Malick Yalcouye, Elye Wahi, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Bazoumana Toure, alongside the evergreen Nicolas Pepe, are ready to trouble Ghana.
Ghana
Ghana will miss stars including Mohammed Kudus, who withdrew from the team after initially receiving a call-up by the GFA.
The Tottenham Hotspur playmaker has endured a tough moment in 2026, having started only one competitive fixture for the North London side since getting injured on 2nd January 2026 in a home fixture against Sunderland.
His only start was in the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in the current campaign. Kudus’ body language speaks volumes – the Star Boy needs the three weeks to get back on track.
Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, newly signed Sheffield United veteran striker Jordan Ayew, youngster Prince Adu of Viktoria Plzen, PAOK left back Baba Rahman and Lorient defender Nathaniel Adjei have all pulled out of Carlos Queiroz’s squad citing injuries. Already, Ghana’s midfield maestro Thomas Partey is absent, and Inaki Williams has retired from international football.
Their absence will leave a big hole in the squad, even though others are due to get their chance, with Afena Gyan, Benjamin Tetteh, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Rahim Ibrahim, Rockson Yeboah, Ebenezer Annan, Alidu Seidu and Jonas Adjetey having been included with less than 50 hours before the game.
Head-2-Head
Ghana’s last victory over Ivory Coast came in the 2008 AFCON when, in the Bronze Medal match, the Black Stars won 4-2 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, with stars like Boubacar Sanogo scoring Ivory Coast’s brace.
Sulley Muntari, Quincy Owusu Abeyie, Emmanuel Agogo and Haminu Draman were the scorers for Ghana in that entertaining match.
Ivory Coast’s last competitive victory against Black Stars was in the 2015 AFCON finals, where they won on penalties.
Since then, the teams have met only in CHAN and international friendly competitions.
In all, Ghana has won 15, drawn 12 and lost 16 in all competitions – AFCON, World Cup, WAFU, Friendly Games and Invitational Tournaments.
Current Form
Last 5 matches ( DWDLL)
Ghana 1 v 1 Wales
Ghana 1 v 0 Panama
Ghana 0 v 0 England
Ghana 1 v 2 Croatia
Ghana 0 v 1 Colombia
Ivory Coast (WWLWL)
Ivory Coast 2 v 1 France
Ivory Coast 1 v 0 Ecuador
Ivory Coast 1 v 2 Germany
Ivory Coast 2 v 0 Curaçao
Ivory Coast 1 v 2 Norway
Probable X1
Ivory Coast X1 (4-2-3-1)
Yahia Fofana (GK)
Doue, Kossounou, Ndicka, Konana (DF)
Kessie, Sangare, Yalcouye (MDF)
Pepe, Diomande, Bonny (FW)
Ghana XI (4-2-3-1)
Asare (GK)
Mensah, Alidu, Adjetey, Opoku (DF)
Sibo, Yirenkyi (CDM)
Issahaku, Nuamah, Bonsu Baah (FW)
Thomas-Asante (ST)
Prediction
Ivory Coast 3-1 Ghana
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