Passport Soccer

AFCON 2025 Preview: Ivory Coast

There weren’t many better stories in the football world when Ivory Coast lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy at home in early 2024. A wild ride which saw them sack head coach Jean-Louis Gasset during the group stage, replacing him with assistant Emerse Faé. Being on the verge of being eliminated in the group stage to going all the way and having Sébastien Haller, a recent cancer survivor, scoring the winning goal. It was a historic moment in the history of Les Éléphants.

It’s a euphoria that Ivory Coast have continued to ride under the guidance of Emerse Faé. Since then, Ivory Coast qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and more recently booked qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first time Ivory Coast have reached the global showpiece since 2014 in Brazil.

Ivory Coast have arguably one of the deepest squads in Africa. It’s a star studded lineup that many feel can repeat as champions of Africa. AFCON is no stranger to teams repeating as champions, 3 nations have done so since the tournament began in 1957: Egypt, Ghana, and Cameroon. Ivory Coast will look to be the 4th.

Potential Starting XI

Coach

Emerse Faé

Emerse Faé was completely untested as a head coach when he was thrust into the role in the midst of AFCON 2023. Faé passed his tests with flying colors, leading Ivory Coast to their 3^rd AFCON title. As a player, Faé represented Ivory Coast 41 times.

_{^{Photo Credit: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix}}

Players to Watch

Franck Kessié
Age: 29
Position: CM
Caps/Goals: 96/15
Club: Al-Ahli SFC (Saudi Arabia)

^{_{Photo Credit: ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images}}

Kessié is approaching 100 caps for Ivory Coast, all before turning 30. The robust midfielder is one of the most influential players in the squad. Currently the captain of Les Éléphants.

Yan Diomande
Age: 19
Position: LW
Caps/Goals: 4/2
Club: RB Leipzig (Germany)

One of the most exciting young players in European club football at the moment. Diomande has had a very interesting and meteoric rise in the last few years, making his debut with Ivory Coast this May. This could be Diomande’s breakout moment on the world stage.