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	26 (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)

The Ivory Coast national football team, also known as the Elephants, represents Ivory Coast in men's international football. The team is managed by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF). They have won the Africa Cup of Nations three times: in 1992, 2015, and 2023. The team has also played in the FIFA World Cup three times: in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

Ivory Coast's home uniform is all orange. Since 2020, their home games have been played at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan. Before that, they played at Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium. Didier Zokora holds the record for the most games played, with 123 matches. The team's top goal scorer is Didier Drogba, who scored 65 goals in 105 games for the Elephants.

History of the Elephants

Early Years (1960s-1970s)

The team played its first international match on April 13, 1960. They won 3–2 against Dahomey, which is now known as Benin. In 1961, they had a huge 11–0 victory against the Central African Republic.

After Ivory Coast became independent from France, the team did well in early African tournaments. They finished third in the 1963 and 1965 Africa Cup of Nations. In the 1970s, their performance was mixed. They finished fourth in the 1970 African Cup of Nations, but did not qualify for some later tournaments.

Rise to Champions (1980s-1990s)

In 1984, Ivory Coast hosted the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. They did not make it out of their group that year. In 1986, they finished third again, beating Morocco 3–2.

The 1992 Africa Cup of Nations was a big moment for Ivory Coast. They won their group and then beat Zambia and Cameroon to reach the final. In the final, they faced Ghana. The game went to a penalty shootout, which they won 11–10. This was their first major title! They could not defend their title in 1994, losing in the semi-finals.

The Ivory Coast team is famous for winning two of the highest-scoring penalty shootouts in international football. They won 11–10 against Ghana in the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations final. They also won 12–11 against Cameroon in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. In 2015, they beat Ghana again in a final penalty shootout, winning 9–8.

World Cup Debuts (2000s-2010s)

In October 2005, Ivory Coast made history by qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was their first time ever playing in the tournament. They were in a tough group with Argentina, Holland, and Serbia and Montenegro. They lost their first two games 2–1. However, they won their final group game 3–2 against Serbia and Montenegro. This was their first-ever World Cup victory!

The national football team of the Côte d'Ivoire before a match against Poland in 2010

Ivory Coast also qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Again, they were in a very difficult group with Brazil, Portugal, and North Korea. They drew 0–0 with Portugal and lost 3–1 to Brazil. Even though they won their last game 3–0 against North Korea, they were eliminated in the group stage.

Logo until 2014

The team played in their third World Cup in 2014 in Brazil. They beat Japan 2–1 but then lost to Colombia. In their final group match against Greece, they lost 2–1 after a penalty in the last minutes. This meant they were out in the group stage for the third time in a row.

In 2015, the national team won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. They beat Ghana in a penalty shootout after the game ended with no goals. The team did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, losing to Morocco in their final qualifying match.

Recent Success (2020s)

The national football team of the Côte d'Ivoire in 2022

In early 2024, Ivory Coast hosted the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. After a tough group stage, their coach was replaced by assistant coach Emerse Faé. The team managed to qualify for the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams. They then went on an amazing run, beating strong teams like Senegal and Mali. They won the final 2–1 against Nigeria, earning their third title! This was special because they were the first team to win the African Cup of Nations after changing coaches during the tournament.

Home Stadium

From 1964 to 2020, the main stadium for home matches was Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan. It could hold 50,000 fans. In 2020, the new Alassane Ouattara Stadium opened in Abidjan. This stadium can hold 60,000 people and 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, the fan sections often have a percussion band. This band makes sounds that are like an elephant moving through a forest.

Coaching Staff

Patrice Beaumelle was the manager of the national football team of the Côte d'Ivoire in the early 2020s.

Position	Name
Head coach	Emerse Faé
Assistant coaches	Guy Demel Alain Gouaméné
Goalkeeping coach	Gérard Gnanhouan
Fitness coach	Samir Anba
Video analyst	Jeremy Antonio
Doctor	Rodrigue Kouassi
Physiotherapists	Aurélien Koffi Bakary Mendy Gervais Soumaré
Masseur	Patrice Ouattara
Ostheopath	Mahamadou Bakayoko
Team nutritionist	Elysée Sawadogo
Team cooks	Yahia Diawara Ezechiel Koné Aminata Sidibé
Team coordinator	Alphonse Sangaré
Technical director	Boubacar Barry
Head of delegation	Didier Zokora

Key Players

The Ivory Coast team has many talented players. Some of the most famous players include Didier Drogba, who is their all-time top scorer. Didier Zokora has played the most games for the team. Other important players have included Kolo Touré, Yaya Touré, and Salomon Kalou.

Current Squad Highlights

The team's current squad includes players like Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, and Nicolas Pépé. These players play for big clubs around the world. They help the Elephants compete at the highest level.

Team Records

Players in bold are still active with Ivory Coast.

Most Appearances

Didier Zokora, the player with the most games for Ivory Coast.

Top Goalscorers

Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast's all-time top goalscorer.

Competitive Achievements

The Ivory Coast national football team has achieved success in various tournaments.

Major Competitions

• CAF Africa Cup of Nations
  • Description: Coppa d'Africa
    Title: Coppa Africa
    Credit: Own work
    Author: Luigi Chiesa
    Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
    License: CC BY-SA 3.0
    License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
    Attribution Required?: Yes Champions (3): 1992, 2015, 2023
  • Description: A silver medal with africa inside
    Title: Silver medal africa
    Credit: based on silver_medal.svg by B1mbo
    Author: maix¿?
    Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
    License: CC BY-SA 2.5
    License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
    Attribution Required?: Yes Runners-up (2): 2006, 2012
  • Description: A bronze medal with africa inside
    Title: Bronze medal africa
    Credit: based on bronze_medal.svg by B1mbo
    Author: maix¿?
    Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
    License: CC BY-SA 2.5
    License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
    Attribution Required?: Yes Third place (4): 1965, 1968, 1986, 1994
• CAF African Nations Championship
  • Description: A bronze medal with africa inside
    Title: Bronze medal africa
    Credit: based on bronze_medal.svg by B1mbo
    Author: maix¿?
    Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
    License: CC BY-SA 2.5
    License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
    Attribution Required?: Yes Third place (1): 2016
• African Games
  • Description: A bronze medal with africa inside
    Title: Bronze medal africa
    Credit: based on bronze_medal.svg by B1mbo
    Author: maix¿?
    Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
    License: CC BY-SA 2.5
    License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
    Attribution Required?: Yes Bronze medal (1): 1965

Regional Competitions

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

Awards

• African National Team of the Year: 1992, 2015, 2024
• Africa Cup of Nations Fair Play Award: 2012

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