Ivory Coast vs Gambia | Highlights | AFCON Qualifiers

Ivory Coast maintained their perfect record in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers with a 2-1 victory over Gambia. The Elephants have now won all three of their matches, with Yan Diomande providing the assist for Elye Wahi's goal.

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Ivory Coast Take Control With Two Early Goals

Ivory Coast entered the match looking to extend their winning run and wasted little time making an impact.

Malick Yalcouyé opened the scoring in the 17th minute, putting the Elephants ahead.

Just seven minutes later, Elye Wahi made it 2-0 in the 24th minute, finishing after an assist from Yan Diomande.

The two early goals gave Ivory Coast a strong advantage, although Gambia managed to respond before halftime.

Musa Barrow Gives Gambia Hope

Musa Barrow pulled one back in the 38th minute, reducing the deficit to 2-1.

Gambia remained within one goal of an equalizer, but Ivory Coast protected their lead for the remainder of the match.

The victory means the Elephants have now won three consecutive matches in the AFCON Qualifiers, maintaining a perfect record of three wins from three games.

How Ivory Coast Comes Into the Match

Ivory Coast enters Thursday's encounter looking to maintain its perfect start to the qualification campaign.

The team coached by Hervé Renard began Group C with a 2-0 victory over Ghana on September 24, thanks to goals from Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié.

Five days later, the Elephants secured another 2-0 victory against Somalia, although they had to wait until the closing minutes to break the deadlock.

Yann Gboho opened the scoring in the 89th minute before Bazoumana Touré added a second goal during stoppage time.

For the November double-header, Renard has named a 25-player squad featuring four newcomers.

One of the most notable additions is Oumar Solet, who earned his first senior call-up after choosing to represent Ivory Coast internationally.

The squad also includes experienced players such as Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, and Nicolas Pépé.

However, the Elephants will be without Guéla Doué, Odilon Kossounou, and Ghislain Konan because of injuries.

How Gambia Comes Into the Match

Gambia travels to Bouaké after an equally impressive start to its qualification campaign.

The Scorpions opened Group C with a 2-1 victory over Somalia on September 25.

Ebrima Colley scored from the penalty spot before Muhammed Badamosi secured the winning goal in the 83rd minute.

Four days later, Gambia produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Ghana 4-2 away from home.

After falling two goals behind, Badamosi and captain Omar Colley brought the visitors level before Ebrima Colley completed the comeback with two second-half goals.

Head coach Johnathan McKinstry has received an important boost ahead of the Ivory Coast double-header.

Musa Barrow and Yankuba Minteh return to the 25-man squad after missing the opening qualifiers through injury.

However, Alieu Fadera and Adama Sidibeh remain unavailable.

Ivory Coast vs. Gambia: A Battle for the Top of Group C

The importance of Thursday's encounter extends beyond the immediate result.

Ivory Coast leads Group C with six points and a goal difference of plus four, while Gambia has the same number of points and a goal difference of plus three.

Meanwhile, Somalia and Ghana remain without points after their opening two matches.

The top two teams will qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The teams will meet again on Tuesday, November 17, at Independence Stadium in Bakau, Gambia.

With both nations enjoying perfect records, the double-header could play a major role in determining the final standings.