Ivory Coast secured a 2-0 victory over Ghana in their opening Group C match of the African Nations Cup qualifiers on Thursday in Bouake. The win was marked by a notable debut from Brighton striker Malick Yalcoupe, who scored his first international goal just before halftime. The 20-year-old fired a precise shot from outside the penalty area at the 44th minute, beating Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi at the near post.

The opening goal was set up by Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie, who later extended the lead by converting a penalty in the 58th minute. Ghana faced several challenges during the match, entering the game without midfielder Mohammed Kudus and later losing strikers Jordan Ayew and Antoine Semenyo to injury.

The fixture featured a tactical duel between highly regarded coaches Herve Renard and Carlos Queiroz. Renard, who returned to manage Ivory Coast following the non-renewal of Emerse Fae’s contract after their early exit in the World Cup round of 32, has a successful history with the team, having led them to their second African Cup of Nations title in 2015. Queiroz, appointed to Ghana’s coaching position shortly before the 2026 World Cup, brings extensive experience including previous managerial roles at Real Madrid and as assistant to Manchester United under Alex Ferguson.

Elsewhere on the first day of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON, Zimbabwe staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Sierra Leone 3-2 in El Jadida, Morocco. After trailing by two goals with less than 20 minutes remaining, Zimbabwe captain Marshall Munetsi scored twice, including a decisive goal in the 89th minute.

In Group E action, the Democratic Republic of Congo claimed a 2-0 home victory against Equatorial Guinea in Kinshasa. Early momentum came from captain Chancel Mbemba, who headed in a goal in the fourth minute. Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa added a second-half goal to seal the win for the Congolese side.