AFCON
Profile Of Cote D’Ivoire Team For 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations –
Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and hosts Ivory Coast.
Africa Cup of Nations record:
Previous appearances in finals: (24) 1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1992, 2015
Drawn in Group A with Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Nigeria.
– – –
Coach: Jean-Louis Gasset
The 70-year-old Frenchman is in his first job as a national team coach, although served as Laurent Blanc’s assistant for two years with the France after the 2010 World Cup. Most of Gasset’s coaching career has been spent in the French league with Montpellier, Saint Etienne and Girondins Bordeaux. He also had two separate spells on the coaching staff at Paris St Germain. Took over as the Ivorian coach in May 2022 and has shaken up the side over the last 18 months.
Key player: Sebastien Haller. Age: 29. Forward.
French-born striker who played in France’s Under-21 side before switching his international allegiance in 2021 and went to the last Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon. He qualifies because his mother is from the Ivory Coast. Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer but returned after surgery to score nine goals for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last season. Began his career at AJ Auxerre before spells at FC Utrecht in the Netherlands, Eintracht Frankfurt and West Ham United.
FIFA world ranking Dec 2023: 49
How they qualified: Hosts, but also took part in the preliminaries and were second in Group H behind Zambia but ahead of the Comoros Islands and Lesotho.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Angers), Charles Folly (ASEC Abidjan), Badra Ali Sangare (Sekhukhune United)
Defenders: Serge Aurier (Nottingham Forest), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest), Chester Diallo (Hajduk Split), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting Lisbon), Ghislain Konan (Al Feyha), Odilon Kossonou (Bayer Leverkusen), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma), Wilfried Singo (AS Monaco)
Midfielders: Lazare Amani (Union Saint Gilloise), Idrissa Doumbia (Al Ahli), Seko Fofana (Al Nassr), Max-Alain Gradel (Gaziantep), Franck Kessie (Al Ahli), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Jean Michael Seri (Hull City)
Forwards: Simon Adingra (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jonathan Bamba (Celta Vigo), Jeremie Boga (Nice), Oumar Diakite (Stade Reims), Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund), Karim Konate (Salzburg), Christian Kouame (Fiorentina), Jean-Philippe Krasso (Red Star Belgrade), Nicolas Pepe (Trapzonspor)
-Reuters
AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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AFCON
CAF Security Chief, Nigeria’s Emeruwa, Leads Inspection of Tangier Stadium Ahead of Major Tournaments
Nigeria’s Dr. Christian Emeruwa, President of the Security and Safety Division of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Thursday, September 18, led an inspection visit to the Grand Stade de Tangier as preparations intensify for upcoming continental and global football events.
Emeruwa, who heads CAF’s continental security architecture, was joined by CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, senior Moroccan officials, and executives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The delegation also included managers of operational companies at the Grand Stade and SONARGES executives.
According to Le 360, the Nigerian official expressed satisfaction with the stadium’s facilities after touring key operational areas, including the main control room with its giant surveillance screen, as well as spectator, player, and VIP access zones.
The inspection was bolstered by the presence of Morocco’s top security and administrative officers—the regional commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, officials of the Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection, the Wali of Security, the governor in charge of Internal Affairs, and representatives of the National Agency for Public Equipment (ANEP).
A technical meeting followed the tour, where engineers presented recent safety and security upgrades. Among the highlights was the planned installation of a FIFA-standard tarpaulin roof to enhance the venue’s compliance with global hosting requirements.
For Nigeria, the spotlight on Dr. Emeruwa underscores the country’s growing influence in African football administration, particularly in the critical areas of safety and security management for CAF competitions.
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Morocco has received 723 high-end buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21.
Yutong said on social media that the fleet “has officially rolled off the production line” and will provide “comprehensive transport services and reliable operational support” during the tournament.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday at the company’s facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, attended by Moroccan representatives and Yutong executives.
The buses were designed to cope with Morocco’s terrain and climate, including steep slopes, heat and sandstorms. They feature an independent front axle suspension to navigate narrow city streets and Yutong’s in-house “Blue Core System” for fuel efficiency.
The delivery is the largest single order of Chinese buses in Africa. Yutong will station more than 100 technicians in Morocco to provide training, maintenance and round-the-clock support during AFCON.
The deal is part of Morocco’s broader transport strategy, which includes plans to purchase 7,000 new buses by 2030—half of them electric—as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
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