Ivory Coast strengthened their position at the top of Group C in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers with a 2-1 victory over The Gambia, a result which also improved Ghana’s prospects.
The Elephants made it three wins from three matches on Thursday, scoring twice in the first half at Stade de la Paix in Bouake before holding off a determined response from the visitors after the interval.
Ivory Coast now have nine points and remain firmly in control of the group. The Gambia are three points behind the leaders, while Ghana moved into a stronger position after claiming their first win of the campaign earlier in the day.
Ghana defeated Somalia 2-0, giving the Black Stars three points and ensuring the latest results worked in their favour. The outcome means they could make further progress depending on the results of the next round of matches.
Ivory Coast began the game on the front foot and took the lead after 17 minutes. Malick Yalcouye completed a move set up by Nicolas Pepe, giving the hosts an early advantage.
They doubled that lead seven minutes later when Elye Wahi finished from Yan Diomande’s pass. The second goal put Ivory Coast in a commanding position before the half-hour mark.
The Gambia reduced the deficit before half-time, with Musa Barrow scoring in the 38th minute. His goal gave the visitors renewed belief, but they could not find a second effort to level the contest.
Ivory Coast protected their advantage throughout the remainder of the match to secure another three points and preserve their perfect qualifying record.
The Gambia missed the chance to reduce the gap to the group leaders but will have an immediate opportunity to challenge them again when the teams meet next week.
The result will also have been welcomed by Ghana, whose victory over Somalia gave them a first success in the qualifying campaign. The Black Stars can strengthen their position further if they follow that result with another win against Somalia in Matchday 4.
The next fixtures will see Ivory Coast and The Gambia renew their contest, while Ghana face Somalia again.
A fourth successive victory would give Ivory Coast an even stronger grip on first place in Group C. Ghana, meanwhile, will be seeking to build on their opening win and continue their progress in the qualification race.
With the group entering another important stage, next week’s matches could influence the battle for qualification as Ivory Coast attempt to maintain their unbeaten start and Ghana look to close the gap.
