Bouaké hosts Côte d'Ivoire against Ghana on Thursday, Hervé Renard's first match since his return

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Gbeke, Côte d'Ivoire

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Illustration: the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, Marc2taki, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Illustration: part of the stands at the Bouaké stadium, Marc2taki, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Illustration: supporters at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, Marc2taki, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

The Elephants face Ghana on Thursday at 7pm GMT at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, in the opening round of qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

It is Hervé Renard's first official match since returning to the Ivorian bench. The coach has called up eight new players for this squad.

The 2027 tournament, named PAMOJA, will be played from 19 June to 17 July 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with 24 teams. Qualifiers run from 24 September 2026 to 30 March 2027: 48 teams in 12 groups of four.

For Bouaké, the match is a rare occasion: the city hosted matches at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, and its stadium is staging an international fixture again. What the creator will follow on site: the attendance and the way access is organised on Thursday evening.

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