Ivory Coast national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ivory Coast

Nickname(s)	Les Éléphants (The Elephants)
Association	Fédération Ivorienne de Football (FIF)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach	Emerse Faé
Captain	Serge Aurier
Most caps	Didier Zokora (123)
Top scorer	Didier Drogba (65)
Home stadium	Alassane Ouattara Stadium
FIFA code	CIV
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	66 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	12 (February 2013, April–May 2013)
Lowest	75 (March–May 2004)
Elo ranking
Current	58 6 (3 March 2019)
Highest	10 (26 January 2013)
Lowest	70 (6 October 1996)
First international
Ivory Coast 3–2 Dahomey  (Madagascar, 13 April 1960)
Biggest win
Ivory Coast 11–0 Central African Republic  (Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 27 December 1961)
Biggest defeat
Netherlands 5–0 Ivory Coast  (Rotterdam, Netherlands; 4 June 2017)
World Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 2006)
Best result	Group stage (2006, 2010, 2014)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	25 (first in 1965)
Best result	Champions (1992, 2015, 2023)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	5 (first in 2009)
Best result	Third place (2016)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 1992)
Best result	Fourth place (1992)
Website	fifciv.com

The Ivory Coast national football team, also known as the Côte d'Ivoire by FIFA, represents the country of Ivory Coast in men's international football games. They are famously nicknamed the Elephants (Les Éléphants in French). The team is managed by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF).

The Elephants have won the important Africa Cup of Nations tournament three times: in 1992, 2015, and 2024. They have also played in the FIFA World Cup three times, in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

Ivory Coast's home colors are all orange. Their home games are usually played at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan. Before 2020, they played at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium. Didier Zokora has played the most games for the team, with 123 appearances. The top goal scorer is Didier Drogba, who scored 65 goals in 105 games for the Elephants.

Team History

Early Years (1960s)

The Ivory Coast team played its very first international match on April 13, 1960. They won 3-2 against Dahomey, which is now known as Benin, in Madagascar.

In 1961, the team had a huge 11-0 victory against the Central African Republic. After Ivory Coast became independent from France, the team quickly showed their talent. They finished third in the 1963 and 1965 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Ups and Downs (1970s and 1980s)

The 1970s were a mix of good and tough times for the team. In the 1970 African Cup of Nations, they reached the semi-finals but lost to Ghana, who were very strong back then. They finished fourth. They didn't qualify for the 1972 and 1976 tournaments.

In 1978, they qualified but were later disqualified because they used a player who wasn't allowed to play. In 1984, Ivory Coast hosted the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, but they didn't make it out of their group. In 1986, they finished third again, beating Morocco 3-2.

Winning Big (1990s)

The 1990s were a golden age for the Elephants. At the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations, they reached the final for the first time. They faced Ghana in a very exciting penalty shoot-out. Ivory Coast won 11-10, claiming their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title! This was one of the highest-scoring penalty shoot-outs in international football history.

They couldn't defend their title in 1994, losing in the semi-finals. However, they continued to be known for their amazing penalty shoot-out skills. In 2006, they won another 24-shot penalty shoot-out against Cameroon, winning 12-11. In 2015, they beat Ghana again in a final penalty shoot-out, winning 9-8.

World Cup Debut (2000s)

In October 2005, Ivory Coast made history by qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was their first time ever playing in the World Cup! They were in a very tough group, often called a "Group of Death," with strong teams like Argentina and the Netherlands.

They lost 2-1 to Argentina, with Didier Drogba scoring their first World Cup goal. They also lost 2-1 to the Netherlands. Even though they were out of the tournament, they won their last game 3-2 against Serbia and Montenegro. This was their first World Cup victory!

More World Cups and AFCON Wins (2010s)

Ivory Coast qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Again, they were in a tough group with Brazil and Portugal. They drew 0-0 with Portugal but lost to Brazil. Even though they beat North Korea 3-0, they didn't make it past the group stage.

Ivory Coast national team lineup before a match against Poland in 2010

They played in their third World Cup in 2014 in Brazil. They won their first game against Japan 2-1 but then lost to Colombia. In their final group match against Greece, they needed a draw to qualify. However, Greece scored a penalty in the last moments of the game, and Ivory Coast was knocked out in the group stage for the third time in a row.

In 2015, the national team won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. They beat Ghana in a penalty shoot-out after the game ended 0-0.

They missed out on the 2018 World Cup after losing their final qualifying match to Morocco.

Recent Success (2020s)

In early 2024, Ivory Coast hosted the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. After a tough start and a big loss, their coach was replaced by Emerse Faé. The team, against all odds, managed to win the tournament! They beat strong teams like Senegal and Mali, and then defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the final. This was their third Africa Cup of Nations title, and it was special because they won it after changing coaches during the competition.

Home Stadium

From 1964 to 2020, the main stadium for home matches was Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, which could hold 50,000 fans. In 2020, the new Alassane Ouattara Stadium was opened, also in Abidjan. This stadium is even bigger, with space for 60,000 people, and it was used for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Supporters

Fans of the Elephants are known for being very colorful and lively. At Ivory Coast matches, you can often hear percussion bands in the supporter sections. These bands try to copy the sounds of an elephant moving through a forest, which is a unique way to cheer on their team!

Coaching Staff

The team has a dedicated group of people who help the players.

Position	Name
Head coach	Emerse Faé
Assistant coaches	Guy Demel Alain Gouaméné
Goalkeeping coach	Gérard Gnanhouan
Fitness coach	Samir Anba
Video analyst	Jeremy Antonio

Players

Current Squad

Here are some of the players who were recently chosen to play for the Ivory Coast national team.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Badra Ali Sangaré	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Sekhukhune United
	1GK	Yahia Fofana	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Angers
	2DF	Wilfried Singo	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Monaco
	2DF	Evan Ndicka	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Roma
	2DF	Emmanuel Agbadou	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Reims
	2DF	Ousmane Diomande	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Sporting CP
	3MF	Franck Kessié	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Al-Ahli
	3MF	Seko Fofana	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Al-Ettifaq
	3MF	Hamed Traorè	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Auxerre
	4FW	Jérémie Boga	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Nice
	4FW	Jean-Philippe Krasso	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Paris FC
	4FW	Oumar Diakité	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Reims
	4FW	Simon Adingra	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Brighton & Hove Albion
	4FW	Karim Konaté	{{{age}}}	{{{caps}}}	{{{goals}}}	Red Bull Salzburg

Team Records

Here are some of the top players in Ivory Coast's football history.

Most Games Played

Didier Zokora, who played the most games for Ivory Coast.

Top Goal Scorers

Didier Drogba, the player who scored the most goals for Ivory Coast.

Major Achievements

The Ivory Coast national football team has won several important tournaments:

Continental Titles

• CAF Africa Cup of Nations
  • Champions (3): 1992, 2015, 2023
  • Runners-up (2): 2006, 2012
  • Third place (4): 1965, 1968, 1986, 1994
• CAF African Nations Championship
  • Third place (1): 2016
• African Games
  • Bronze medal (1): 1965

Regional Titles

• CEDEAO Cup
  • Champions (3): 1983, 1987, 1991
• UEMOA Tournament
  • Champions (2): 2007, 2008

Images for kids

• 

  Logo until 2014

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Costa de Marfil para niños

• Ivory Coast national under-20 football team
• Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations