Yaya Touré leads Slovan Bratislava to Champions League league phase

Yaya Touré has made history by becoming the first African coach to lead a team into the UEFA Champions League league phase. His side, Slovan Bratislava, secured their spot after a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory against Slovenian club NK Celje, resulting in a 3-2 aggregate win.

Cristian Martínez scored the decisive goal in the 100th minute to seal the qualification. The victory marks a successful start to Touré’s first major role as a head coach, following his decorated playing career at clubs like FC Barcelona and Manchester City. Since joining Slovan Bratislava, Touré remains undefeated in ten official matches, recording eight wins and two draws.

This achievement follows the precedent set by Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo, who was the first African to manage a team in the competition in 2020, though Egbo's side, KF Tirana, did not reach the league phase.