Yaya Toure becomes first African coach to lead club into Champions League
September 8, 2026 11:11 pm
Slovan Bratislava’s head coach Yaya Toure holds a press conference at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on September 8, 2026, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football first round match between Paris Saint-Germain and Slovan Bratislava. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
A former Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure has made history after becoming the first African coach to lead a club into the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Toure achieved the feat with Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava, who secured their place in the competition after defeating Slovenian side NK Celje 2-1 after extra time in the second leg of their final qualifying tie on Wednesday.
The victory gave Slovan a 3-2 aggregate win and booked their place among the 36 clubs in this season’s Champions League league phase.
The achievement is particularly notable because the 43-year-old is in his first senior managerial position.
Toure was appointed Slovan’s head coach in June and has quickly made an impact, guiding the club through three qualifying rounds to reach European football’s elite competition.
Slovan began their qualifying campaign against Georgia’s Saburtalo, before overcoming Sweden’s Mjallby and then Celje in the final play-off round.
Cristian Martinez struck in the 100th minute to give Toure’s side the decisive advantage and send them through to the league phase.
Toure’s achievement surpasses the previous milestone reached by Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo, who led Albanian side KF Tirana into the Champions League qualifying rounds in 2020 but did not take the club into the main competition.
The former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009, will now face some of Europe’s biggest clubs from the dugout.
Slovan’s first league-phase assignment is a daunting one, with the Slovak side set to visit defending champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
PSG are seeking a third consecutive Champions League title after winning the competition in 2025 and 2026.
For Toure, the fixture offers an immediate return to the competition he conquered as a player, but this time from the touchline as a history-making African coach.
Okiki is a journalist with over seven years experience covering politics, foreign news, society, entertainment and the film industry.
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