Ivory Coast Snatches Victory in Somalia in Extra Time
Held back by a watertight Somali defence, Hervé Renard's Elephants waited until the 89th minute to make the difference and won 2-0, securing a second consecutive victory in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Ivory Coast claimed their second victory in as many matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, beating Somalia 2-0 away on Tuesday, September 29, during the second matchday of Group C.
Five days after dominating Ghana by the same scoreline, Hervé Renard’s Elephants nevertheless struggled against a Somalia side that sat deep and was virtually non-existent in attack — just one attempt, off target, in 90 minutes. Despite controlling possession, the Ivorians were thwarted by this compact block for most of the match, unable to find a way through.
It was ultimately Yann Gboho, who came on six minutes earlier, who broke down Somalia’s resistance in the 89th minute. With the dam barely breached, Bazoumana Touré drove home the final nail in stoppage time (90+5) to seal the final score.
Thanks to this victory, Ivory Coast remain top of Group C with a goal difference slightly better than Gambia’s (+4 against +3), who also won both their opening matches by beating Ghana 4-2. The two teams will meet on October 1 in a clash that could shape the group hierarchy.
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