Former Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré has made history by becoming the first African coach to lead a club into the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Touré achieved the milestone with Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava, who defeated Slovenian side NK Celje 2–1 after extra time in the second leg of their final qualifying tie on Wednesday.
The victory gave Slovan a 3–2 aggregate win, securing their place among the 36 clubs competing in this season’s Champions League league phase.
The achievement is particularly remarkable considering that Touré is only in his first senior managerial role. The 43-year-old was appointed Slovan Bratislava head coach in June and has already made a significant impact.
Under his leadership, Slovan progressed through three qualifying rounds, defeating Georgia’s Saburtalo, Sweden’s Mjällby, and finally NK Celje in the play-off round.
Cristian Martínez proved decisive, scoring in the 100th minute of extra time to send Touré’s side through to the league phase.
Touré’s achievement surpasses the previous milestone set by Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo, who guided Albanian club KF Tirana into the Champions League qualifying rounds in 2020 but did not reach the main competition.
A former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder, Touré won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009. Now, he returns to Europe’s elite competition in a completely different capacity—as a head coach.
His first league-phase assignment will be a major test, with Slovan Bratislava set to travel to face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
From Champions League winner to Champions League history-maker on the touchline—Yaya Touré’s managerial journey has officially entered a new chapter.
