Yaya Touré Makes Champions League History as First African Coach to Reach League Phase
He becomes the first African coach to guide a club into the UEFA Champions League league phase after Slovan Bratislava’s qualification triumph over Celje.
1h ago·2 min read
The Ivory Coast legend has broken new ground for African coaches after guiding Slovan Bratislava into the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase.
Yaya Touré has written his name into African football history after becoming the first African head coach to guide a club into the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.
The former Ivory Coast, Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder achieved the historic feat after his Slovan Bratislava side defeated Slovenian champions NK Celje 2-1 after extra time on Wednesday night, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory.
The achievement is particularly remarkable for the 43-year-old Touré, who only took charge of Slovan Bratislava in June 2026 in what is his first senior managerial role.
Slovan survive dramatic night in Slovenia
The Champions League play-off was finely balanced after Slovan and Celje played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Bratislava. UEFA confirmed ahead of the return fixture that the winner would advance to the league phase.
Touré's side struck first in Slovenia through Andraž Šporar, who latched onto a long pass before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Žan-Luk Leban.
Celje, however, responded before half-time.
Svit Sešlar converted from the penalty spot after the referee reviewed an incident involving Tigran Barseghyan and Yaya Dukuly, sending the teams into the break level.
Neither side could find the decisive breakthrough during the remainder of regulation time, forcing the contest into extra time.
Then came the moment that ultimately made history.
Panamanian midfielder Cristian Martínez struck in the 100th minute to put Slovan 2-1 ahead and send Touré's men into the Champions League with a 3-2 aggregate triumph.
Touré takes African coaching history a step further
Touré's achievement represents another major milestone for African coaches in European football.
Nigeria's Ndubuisi Egbo previously made history in 2020 while managing Albanian champions KF Tirana. Egbo became the first African coach to win a UEFA Champions League match when Tirana defeated Dinamo Tbilisi during qualifying.
However, Tirana did not progress into the main stage of the competition.
Touré has now gone a step further by successfully navigating the qualifying rounds and taking Slovan Bratislava into the Champions League league phase.
The achievement also brings Touré back to a competition he knows well from his playing career.
The Ivorian won the Champions League with Barcelona during a glittering career that also saw him claim three Premier League titles with Manchester City.
Now, only months into his first job as a head coach, Touré will experience Europe's biggest club competition from the dugout.
For African football, it is another barrier broken, and for Yaya Touré, another historic chapter in a career already filled with them.