Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire renew one of West Africa’s most familiar football rivalries on Thursday, September 24, when the two sides meet in Group C of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. GMT, with both nations beginning a new qualification campaign under recently changed coaching leadership.
The match carries particular weight for Ghana, who are trying to return to the continental tournament after missing the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. The four-time African champions finished bottom of their 2025 qualifying group, making the 2027 campaign an important opportunity to re-establish themselves among Africa’s leading national teams.
Ghana will be led by Carlos Queiroz, who has returned to the Black Stars setup after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Portuguese coach is beginning his latest AFCON campaign with a squad that includes several players who featured at the World Cup, while also bringing back Mohammed Kudus following his long injury absence.
Ivory Coast Enters a New Chapter.
For Côte d’Ivoire, Thursday’s match represents the beginning of another era under Hervé Renard, who has returned as head coach for a second spell. Renard previously guided the Elephants to the 2015 AFCON title and is now tasked with taking the reigning continental champions into the next tournament.
The coaching change follows the departure of Emerse Faé, who guided Côte d’Ivoire to the 2023 AFCON title on home soil and subsequently led the team to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. Côte d’Ivoire were eliminated by Norway in the Round of 32.
Renard inherits a squad containing several established names, including Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, Nicolas Pépé and Ousmane Diomandé. One of the major new faces attracting attention is Yan Diomandé, who has emerged as one of the team’s headline attacking players following his move to Real Madrid.
Ghana Begins Without Several Key Names.
Ghana’s preparation has been complicated by the absence of several important players. Earlier reports identified captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo among the notable absences, although CAF’s official squad announcement subsequently confirmed Kudus’ return to the 24-man squad.
Kudus had been sidelined for approximately seven months and missed Ghana’s 2026 World Cup campaign. His inclusion therefore gives Queiroz another major attacking option as Ghana begins its qualification campaign.
The Ghana Football Association confirmed on Thursday that the Black Stars had arrived in Bouaké ahead of the match. The team is scheduled to conduct its final official training session at the match venue before facing the Elephants.
A Rivalry With Continental History.
The fixture is more than an opening qualifying match. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have repeatedly met in major African competitions, including the 1992 and 2015 AFCON finals, both of which Côte d’Ivoire won on penalties. Their most recent competitive meeting came at the 2010 AFCON, when Côte d’Ivoire won 3–1 in the round of 16.
Their rivalry has nevertheless produced many closely contested matches. Across their historical meetings, Ghana have recorded more victories overall, while Côte d’Ivoire have secured important wins in major tournament encounters.
Both Teams Have a Bigger Target.
The opening fixture is part of a six-round qualification process for AFCON 2027, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. Forty-eight nations have been divided into 12 groups, with the top two teams in most groups advancing to the finals.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are joined in Group C by The Gambia and Somalia, meaning the result in Bouaké could provide an early indication of how the group develops. Ghana’s next qualifier is against The Gambia on September 29, while Côte d’Ivoire will travel to face Somalia.
For Ghana, qualification would mark a return to the AFCON stage after the disappointment of 2025. For Côte d’Ivoire, the campaign begins with the challenge of defending the country’s place among Africa’s leading football nations while adapting to a new coaching era.
And with two of West Africa’s heavyweight teams meeting on the opening day, the road to AFCON 2027 begins with a rivalry that already carries decades of history.
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