Côte d'Ivoire

Football in Côte d'Ivoire took root during the French colonial era, with the game spreading through schools and urban communities from the 1920s onwards. The country gained independence in 1960, and the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football was established the same year, setting the foundation for one of Africa's great football nations.

The first major moment came in 1992 when Côte d'Ivoire won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, defeating Ghana on penalties in the final. The triumph was celebrated across the country and confirmed Ivory Coast as a continental power. But the greatest era was still to come.

In the 2000s, a golden generation emerged that transformed African football. Didier Drogba — one of the game's most powerful and charismatic strikers — led a team of exceptional talent including Yaya Touré, Didier Zokora, and Kolo Touré. The Elephants qualified for the World Cup in 2006, 2010, and 2014 — each time narrowly failing to progress from a 'Group of Death.' Drogba's famous appeal on television for the country to put down its weapons during the civil war, using football to call for peace, remains one of sport's most powerful moments.

The 2015 AFCON in Equatorial Guinea brought another title — beating Ghana on penalties — and then came the most dramatic tournament of all. At AFCON 2023/24, hosted in Côte d'Ivoire, the Elephants were nearly eliminated in the group stage. But they recovered, went on an extraordinary run, and beat Nigeria 2–1 in the final on home soil. The comeback tournament is already an AFCON legend.