Somalia and Cote d’Ivoire meet at Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday as their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaigns continue. Somalia lost 2-1 to The Gambia in their opening match, while Cote d’Ivoire began with a 2-0 victory over Ghana.
Cote d’Ivoire’s pursuit of a second successive continental title ended in the quarter-finals of AFCON 2026, when they were beaten by Egypt. That defeat brought an eight-match unbeaten run in the competition to an end, after seven wins and one draw. The Elephants later reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in four attempts, but head coach Emerse Fae was not offered a contract extension when his deal expired in July.
Herve Renard has since returned to lead the team and marked the start of his second spell with a convincing win over Ghana. Malick Yalcouye, who has made an impressive start to the 2026-2027 season with Brighton & Hove Albion, scored in the first half before Franck Kessie added a second after the interval.
Renard, a two-time AFCON winner who lifted the trophy with Cote d’Ivoire in 2015, is tasked with securing another title. His immediate priority, however, is guiding the team to next year’s finals in East Africa.
Victory in this first meeting between Somalia and Cote d’Ivoire would keep the Elephants top of Group C. They will need to improve their recent away record in AFCON qualifying, having lost their last two trips to Sierra Leone and Zambia without scoring.
Somalia, eliminated in the preliminary qualifying round in 2024, have already exceeded expectations by reaching the group stage this time. They eliminated Mauritius on penalties after two goalless legs and are now in a group containing The Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, all experienced opponents and, in the latter two cases, multiple winners of the tournament.
Yusuf Ali’s side showed promise despite Friday’s defeat, but the Ocean Stars are among five teams seeking a first appearance at the AFCON finals. Their lack of attacking threat remains a major concern: Somalia scored only three goals in 10 World Cup qualifying matches and finished bottom of their group. Long-standing security issues and the absence of a CAF-approved stadium also mean they have been unable to play at home for some time.
Somalia’s recent form is L-W-L-D-W-L; Cote d’Ivoire’s is W-W-L-W-L-W. Bilal Njie’s consolation goal against The Gambia was his fifth in eight club and international appearances. Abdi Sharif is doubtful after going off injured late in that match.
Yalcouye had a memorable international debut, scoring once and providing one assist. Kessie’s goal against Ghana was his 16th for Cote d’Ivoire, the most among current players and two short of the historic top 10. Amadou Kone, still waiting for his first cap, remained on the bench last time.
Probable line-ups
Somalia: Hussein; Othman, Omar, Gigli; Mohamed, Osman, Abdullahi, Abdulle; Hassan, Njie, Abatari.
Cote d’Ivoire: Fofana; Zogbe, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan; Sangare, Kessie; Diomande, Yalcouye, Pepe; Bonny.
Cote d’Ivoire are predicted to win 3-0. Other listed selections are a Cote d’Ivoire win without conceding, priced at 1.40, and more than 2.5 goals, priced at 1.25. The exact-score prediction is 5.50.