Yaya Touré makes African history in UEFA Champions League phase

Yaya Touré has become the first African coach to guide a club into the UEFA Champions League league phase after Slovan Bratislava defeated Slovenian champions Celje 2-1 after extra time. The result gave Slovan a 3-2 aggregate victory in the final qualifying-round tie and secured a place among Europe’s competition elite for the former Ivory Coast international.

The decisive match was played in Celje, with the tie finely balanced after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Slovan took the lead in the 18th minute when Andraž Šporar controlled a long ball and lifted his finish over the goalkeeper. The advantage did not last long. Celje were awarded a penalty in the 34th minute, and Svit Šešlar converted to restore parity on the night.

Celje pressed for a winning goal during the second half and came close when Yaya Dukuly’s effort struck the post. With the aggregate score level and the match moving towards penalties, Slovan found the breakthrough in the 100th minute. Panamanian midfielder Cristian Martínez scored the extra-time winner, sending Touré and his players into celebration and ending Celje’s challenge.

The qualification completes a distinction that no African coach had previously achieved. Nigeria’s Ndubuisi Egbo became the first African coach to manage a club in the Champions League when he led Albania’s KF Tirana through the qualifying rounds in 2020. Tirana did not reach the league phase, however, leaving Touré to set the new mark with Slovan.

Touré took charge of the Slovak champions in 2026 on a three-year contract, making Slovan his first senior managerial appointment. He moved into the role after coaching experience with Standard Liège, the Saudi Arabia national team and Tottenham Hotspur’s under-16 academy. He had also worked as an assistant with Saudi Arabia before accepting the position in Bratislava.

The achievement gives Touré an immediate European milestone at the start of his senior coaching career. Slovan’s progress also carries significance for the club, which will compete in the Champions League league phase for only the second time. Its previous appearance came in the 2024-25 edition, and the club will now await the opponents assigned in Thursday’s draw.

Touré arrives at this stage of his coaching career with a playing record that already includes the Champions League. He won the trophy with Barcelona in the 2008-09 season and collected two La Liga titles during his time in Spain. After moving to Manchester City, he won three Premier League titles and became one of the most influential midfielders in the club’s modern history.

His international career brought another major honour. Touré helped Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, adding a continental title to his European club achievements. He retired from professional football in 2020, and his route through several coaching environments has now led to a result that places him at the centre of African football history. Slovan’s league-phase opponents will be confirmed at the draw, but Touré’s place in the record books is already secure.