By: Precious Miracle Kargbo Snr
Ivorian football legend Yaya Touré is set to make history tonight when he leads Slovan Bratislava against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), becoming the first African head coach to manage a team in the UEFA Champions League league phase.
The 43-year-old, who won the Champions League as a player with Barcelona in 2009, was appointed Slovan Bratislava head coach in June, marking his first senior managerial role.
Touré guided the Slovak champions through three qualifying rounds, including a 3-2 aggregate victory over NK Celje, secured by a 100th-minute goal in extra time.
Ahead of the historic encounter in Paris, Touré spoke about the significance of the achievement.
“This is an important new era. We can say that things are now changing and moving forward,” he said. “There are people who have the courage to give young coaches a chance. We have to work two or three times harder to get these kinds of opportunities.”
No African coach had previously managed a team in the Champions League league phase. Touré’s achievement surpasses the previous milestone set by Nigeria’s Ndubuisi Egbo, who led KF Tirana in the Champions League qualifying rounds in 2020 but did not reach the league phase.
Slovan Bratislava, the eight-time defending Slovak champions, are unbeaten in 10 competitive matches under Touré, recording eight wins and two draws.
However, tonight’s challenge will be a daunting one as Slovan travel to Paris to face reigning French champions PSG and a squad featuring stars such as Ousmane Dembélé.
Following Slovan’s qualification, Touré posted a message celebrating the achievement, saying: “Proud to be African. Lots more to do. Together!”