Ivory Coast continued their impressive start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over The Gambia, strengthening their position at the top of Group C and providing a boost to Ghana's qualification hopes.

Published 12 Nov 2026, 22:02 GMTUpdated 12 Nov 2026, 22:03 GMT

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Ivory Coast continued their impressive start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over The Gambia, strengthening their position at the top of Group C and providing a boost to Ghana's qualification hopes.

The Elephants secured their third successive victory on Thursday night, scoring twice in the opening half at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké before resisting a second-half challenge from the visitors to collect all three points.

The result leaves Ivory Coast firmly in control of Group C with nine points from three matches, while The Gambia remain three points behind them.

It also represents a favourable outcome for Ghana, who earlier recorded their first victory of the qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Somalia.

Ivory Coast made their intentions clear from the opening stages and took the lead in the 17th minute through Malick Yalcouye. The midfielder finished off a move created by Nicolas Pepe, who supplied the assist to give the home side an early advantage.

The hosts quickly extended their lead, scoring a second goal just seven minutes later. Elye Wahi found the back of the net after receiving a pass from Yan Diomande, putting Ivory Coast in a commanding position before the half-hour mark.

However, The Gambia responded before the interval, reducing the deficit in the 38th minute through Musa Barrow.

Barrow's goal gave the visitors renewed hope of getting something from the encounter, but they were unable to find a second goal to draw level. Ivory Coast maintained their advantage for the remainder of the contest to secure another important result in their qualifying campaign.

The victory underlines the Elephants' strong start to the competition, with three wins from three matches leaving them as the leading side in Group C.

For The Gambia, the defeat means they missed the opportunity to close the gap on the group leaders, although they will have another chance to challenge Ivory Coast when the two sides meet again next week.

Ghana will also be monitoring developments closely following their victory over Somalia earlier on Thursday.

The Black Stars' 2-0 success earned them their first three points of the campaign and improved their position in the group.

The outcome of the latest round of fixtures means Ghana could benefit further from the upcoming matches, particularly if Ivory Coast continue their winning run against The Gambia.

Attention now turns to Matchday 4, when the two West African rivals will renew their contest, while Ghana prepare to face Somalia.

Another victory for Ivory Coast would further consolidate their position at the summit of Group C. Should Ghana also defeat Somalia, the Black Stars would strengthen their standing in the qualification race.

With the group entering another important phase, next week's fixtures could have a significant influence on the battle for qualification, as Ivory Coast look to preserve their perfect record and Ghana seek to build on their first victory.

Ivory Coast hand Ghana AFCON qualifying boost with victory over The Gambia

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