Yaya Touré Becomes First African Manager In UCL Group Stage
· Sports · Indian Express, Al Jazeera
Yaya Touré has become the first African manager to lead a club to the UEFA Champions League group stage after his team, Slovan Bratislava, defeated Celje 2-1 in extra time. The victory in the second leg of the final qualifying round secured a 3-2 aggregate win for the Slovak club. Touré, who took the managerial role in July 2026, surpassed the record of Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo, who reached the qualifying stage with FK Tirana in 2020. The team remains undefeated in the Slovak League and will discover their group stage opponents in the upcoming UEFA draw.
Why it matters
This milestone marks a significant breakthrough for African coaches in European top-tier football, potentially opening doors for more diverse leadership in major continental competitions.
Read the original report — Indian Express
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.