Ivory Coast and Ghana kick off their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualification campaign on Thursday, September 24, at 7pm (19:00 GMT) at the Stade de Bouake, in Bouake, Ivory Coast. Both West African giants enter the Group C opener under newly installed managers following respective round-of-32 exits at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Group C Context and Tournament Realignment
Group C and Tournament Realignment
The qualification process for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off with a match befitting the final itself as Ivory Coast play Ghana. Both nations are packed with high-profile players and are led by names that have managed at the highest levels of the game. The two West African heavyweights headline Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, alongside The Gambia and Somalia, who complete the group. In the next round of matches in the group, Ghana will entertain The Gambia on Tuesday, while Ivory Coast will travel to Somalia.
This qualification cycle introduces a major calendar shift. It is the first round of the qualification period for the 2027 tournament, which has been moved to the summer after traditionally being played across December, January, and February. Al Jazeera takes a look at the mouth-watering opener on the path to the finals in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Ivory Coast Era Under Herve Renard
Ivory Coast Era Under Herve Renard
Ivory Coast begin a new era under Herve Renard. The Frenchman has returned for a second charge, taking charge of the West African giants for the second time and having led the Elephants to AFCON glory in 2015 before joining French Ligue 1 club Lille immediately after the final. He replaces Emerse Fae, who guided Ivory Coast to their third continental title in 2023. Renard is a two-time AFCON winner, having also led Zambia to their historic win in 2012. The 57-year-old has also managed Morocco, Tunisia – in a last-minute call-up at World Cup 2026 – and Saudi Arabia, who he famously led to victory against Argentina in their group-stage match at Qatar 2022.
Despite their round-of-32 exit in the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the hands of Norway, Ivory Coast’s task ahead is quite clear: win AFCON 2027. Renard has already begun reshaping the squad, naming eight newcomers in his first 25-man selection. Although not blessed with the superstar-level talents like Didier Drogba from their 2015 victory, Ivory Coast are still a force to be reckoned with. Yan Diomande is the shining light of African football following his $161m move to Spanish giants Real Madrid from RB Leipzig in Germany. Former Barcelona midfielder, now with Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A, Franck Kessie is arguably the next biggest name in the current side. Former Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe is resurrecting his career at Villarreal in Spain after a failed $92m transfer to the Gunners from French club Lille. Ibrahim Sangare has been a standout performer in the English Premier League with Nottingham Forest, while Amad Diallo of Manchester United is the starlet of Ivory Coast football. Ousmane Diomande provides an experienced spine alongside the likes of Franck Kessie and Ibrahim Sangare.
The Elephants are three-time AFCON winners and beat Ghana on penalties in the 1992 final for their first continental crown. Renard’s 2015 victory also saw Ghana defeated, and once again it was by penalties. Their most recent win came at the 2023 edition when they defeated Nigeria 2-1 on home soil.
Ghana Squad Depleted by Withdrawals Under Carlos Queiroz
Ghana Squad Depleted by Withdrawals Under Carlos Queiroz
Ghana enters the qualification campaign looking to rebound from missing the 2025 finals after finishing bottom of their qualifying group, failing to win any of their six matches. Carlos Queiroz has now been tasked with ending that drought and guiding Ghana back to the continental stage.
Queiroz has been hit by several withdrawals. Captain Jordan Ayew, Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, and Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus are among those unavailable for the opener, leaving Queiroz with a depleted squad. Kudus had been recalled after recovering from a seven-month injury absence, but will miss the trip to Bouake. Alexander Djiku, Nathaniel Adjei, Ibrahim Sulemana, and Ibrahim Osman are among those returning to the squad.
Broadcast Details and How to Watch
Broadcast Details and How to Watch
The match kicks off at 8pm BST, which is 7pm local time, at the Stade de Bouake. No UK broadcaster has been announced for Ivory Coast vs Ghana. However, according to popular TV listings website LiveOnSat, the match is being shown on free-to-air channels GTV Sports+, based in Ghana, and RTi La 3, which is an Ivory Coast outlet. You can watch La 3 live for free on their website, by clicking here, while Al Jazeera Sport will have live build-up from 16:00 GMT before their text commentary stream.
