Yaya Toure Becomes First African Coach in Champions League

On August 27, 2026, Yaya Toure became the first African coach to guide a team into the UEFA Champions League league phase, accomplishing this with Slovakian club Slovan Bratislava. The team secured their spot in the competition by defeating Celje 2-1 after extra time, resulting in a 3-2 aggregate win in their Champions League play-off tie.

Toure, who took charge of Slovan Bratislava in July 2026, signed a three-year contract and has already made a significant impact in his first senior managerial role. The achievement is particularly noteworthy as Toure, a former midfielder for Manchester City and the Ivory Coast national team, has transitioned from a decorated playing career to coaching.

His tenure at Slovan has seen the team go unbeaten in 10 games, culminating in this historic qualification for the Champions League.