After an exceptional qualifying campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ featuring eight wins and two draws, Côte d’Ivoire experienced a slight dip at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Their title defence ended when they were beaten 3-2 by Egypt in the quarter-finals – but Emerse Fae’s men bounced back emphatically in their next outings.
In a pair of March friendlies held in England, they crushed Korea Republic 4-0 before overcoming Scotland 1-0.
As they now turn their attention to North America, the West Africans can rely on clear strengths in two key areas: defence and attack
Egypt the exception, not the rule
In CAF World Cup qualifying, Côte d’Ivoire achieved a remarkable record of ten clean sheets from as many games, a feat matched only by Tunisia among the 53 teams involved in the African qualifiers.
Their run was all the more incredible considering they kept the dangerous attacks of Gabon and The Gambia at bay.
Their resolute rearguard was also evident during AFCON qualifying, where they conceded just three goals in six matches. Despite some patchy performances at the continental finals in Morocco, particularly in their quarter-final disappointment, Les Elephants quickly rediscovered their defensive discipline in March, keeping clean sheets against Korea Republic and Scotland.
Striker Sebastien Haller, who was sidelined by injury for those matches, credits several factors for that solidity.
“The mindset has been there for some time,” the Utrecht forward told FIFA. “There is also the tactical work we’ve done, not to mention the quality of the players. If we’re shutting out opponents, it’s because we’re doing our job well.”
“Everyone works flat out to protect the goal,” added forward Evann Guessand, who scored against Korea Republic.
“With the coach and his staff, we’ve developed strength at the back that allows us to stay solid and limit the opposition’s chances.”
Danger all over the pitch
As well as being hard to break down, Côte d’Ivoire also possess a formidable attacking threat. Their 25-goal haul was the second-highest tally in CAF qualifying behind The Gambia’s 27.
While their numbers were undoubtedly boosted in the 9-0 and 7-0 scoring sprees against the Seychelles, Les Elephants demonstrated something even more significant: their ability to create danger from all areas of the pitch. Unlike other African heavyweights such as Egypt or Algeria, who rely heavily on one main man up front – Salah and Mohamed Amoura respectively – Côte d’Ivoire have embraced a more collective approach.
In total, 15 different members of Faé’s squad got on the scoresheet during qualifying.
“From defenders to strikers, everyone is a goal threat,” noted Guessand, who netted three times during the campaign. “It’s good to keep the opponent guessing about where the danger lies – that’s when we’re hardest to read.”
Haller, who scored twice in qualifying, sees this as a reflection of the squad’s depth: “The wealth of goalscorers shows that the coach has been able to trust a wide range of players. That makes sense, because Côte d’Ivoire is brimming with talent.”
The scoring streak continued in their two clashes last month, with five goals being shared between as many players: Guessand, Simon Adingra, Martial Godo, Wilfried Singo and Nicolas Pepe.
Armed with such strengths, Côte d’Ivoire will head to North America full of belief as they gear up for their fourth FIFA World Cup™ appearance following a 12-year absence from the global stage.
