Late goals rescue Ivory Coast against stubborn Somalia in Abidjan

Match: Somalia 0-2 Ivory Coast |
Competition: AFCON 2027 Qualifier
Group: C
Venue: Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan,
Date: Tuesday 29 September 2026

Ivory Coast needed until the closing stages to break down a resilient Somalia, but two late goals from Yann Gboho and Bazoumana Touré secured a 2-0 win in Abidjan and lifted the Elephants to six points from two Group C matches.

The result helped them usurp The Gambia, who thrashed Ghana 4-2 earlier on to move to top of the group on goal difference.

The hosts arrived after opening the campaign with a 2-0 win over Ghana, while Somalia had come close to earning a point in a 2-1 defeat to The Gambia.

The Ocean Stars, who reached this stage by beating Mauritius on penalties, defended stubbornly for almost the entire match.

Ivory Coast controlled much of the match but struggled to turn that control into goals.

The first half ended goalless, and the pattern continued after the restart, with Somalia’s disciplined defensive shape frustrating the Elephants.

Yan Diomandé went close in the 76th minute when a cross-shot was scrambled away inside the Somalia area.

With the game drifting toward a goalless finish, Ivory Coast made three substitutions at once in search of a spark.

Gboho, winning his first cap, needed only six minutes after coming on to make the difference, finishing with his right foot from the centre of the box into the bottom right corner from a corner in the 89th minute.

Somalia had little time to respond. Touré sealed the points in the fifth minute of stoppage time, and Ivory Coast’s late pressure proved decisive against a side that had defended well for most of the night.

The final numbers reflected the imbalance: five shots on target for the hosts against one for Somalia.

Somalia deserve credit for a disciplined display that was undone only in the closing stages, but they now have two defeats from two games and remain without a point.

Ghana, who lost 4-2 to The Gambia on the same day, are also without a point, leaving Ivory Coast and The Gambia to break clear at the top.

Because the group has no co-hosts, the top two sides after six matchdays will qualify directly for the finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Ivory Coast will next play a friendly against Cameroon on 3 October at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, before a qualifying meeting with The Gambia that could go a long way towards deciding the group.

Somalia, meanwhile, face Ghana next in November, hoping to collect their first points.