Ivory Coast returns to World Cup after more than a decade

Ivory Coast returns to the biggest international stage.

In the final match of Group F, Ivory Coast needed a win to maintain their top position, as they were only 1 point ahead of Gabon. Two goals from Franck Kessie and Yan Diomande helped the "Elephants" complete the necessary condition.

At the same time, Gabon knew they had no chance so they played with a weak spirit, but still won against the "underdog" Burundi with a score of 1-0.

Group F ended with the direct ticket to the World Cup belonging to Ivory Coast. This is the first time since 2014 that the West African team has participated in the biggest football festival on the planet. Meanwhile, Gabon continues to hope to win a ticket to the Americas through the play-off round.

The golden generation of world- class superstars like Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba has passed, and the Elephants are now a collective of players playing in France, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium. However, coach Emerse Fae and his team are still considered an interesting unknown if they participate in the World Cup next year.

A similar scenario occurred in Group B, Senegal also made no mistake in the final match to win a ticket to the World Cup. The big win over Mauritania helped the "Lions of Teranga" participate in 3 consecutive world championships.

Previously, Africa had representatives with tickets to the 2026 World Cup including Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Cape Verde, and South Africa.

Source: https://znews.vn/bo-bien-nga-tro-lai-world-cup-sau-hon-mot-thap-ky-post1593831.html