Fiery clash between Ivory Coast and Ghana

JOHANNESBURG - AFP - The first round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for summer 2027 in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, will feature a high-stakes clash between two seasoned managers when Ivory Coast, led by French coach Hervé Renard, hosts Ghana, managed by Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, in Group III on Thursday.

Ghana has won the continental title four times, but their last triumph dates back to 1982. Meanwhile, Renard guided Ivory Coast to their second of three AFCON titles in 2015. He also lifted the continental trophy with Zambia in 2012, one of the biggest upsets in the 69-year history of the tournament.

For his part, Queiroz came close to winning the title in 2022 with Egypt, who lost the final to Senegal on penalties in a match the Portuguese manager watched from the stands due to a suspension.

After stints with clubs in France, England, and Vietnam, Renard focused on coaching national teams, also taking charge of Angola, Morocco, Saudi Arabia (in two separate spells), and the French women’s national team.

He took over Tunisia during this summer’s World Cup after his compatriot Sabri Lamouchi was sacked following a heavy 1-5 defeat to Sweden. However, the “Eagles of Carthage” also lost under his guidance to Japan and the Netherlands.

Ivory Coast did not renew the contract of coach Emerse Faé, who had led them to the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations title, following their elimination in the Round of 32 of the World Cup by Norway. This paved the way for Renard’s return.

On the other side, Queiroz’s managerial record includes a stint with Spain’s Real Madrid and two spells as assistant to “Sir” Alex Ferguson, the Scottish manager of England’s Manchester United.

Queiroz took charge of Ghana just before the 2026 World Cup, successfully transforming a team struggling with poor results into a competitive side with strong defensive solidity, enabling them to be the only team to keep a clean sheet against England.

In the Arab contingent, Tunisia will face visitors Uganda, one of the three host nations for the finals, while Libya will meet Botswana in Group VIII.

In other matches, the Democratic Republic of Congo will face Equatorial Guinea, and Sierra Leone will play Zimbabwe in Group V. Meanwhile, Mauritania will take on the Central African Republic in Group VI, while Namibia will face Congo, and Cameroon will meet Comoros in Group VII.