Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure makes African history after qualifying Slovan Bratislava for Champions League

Yaya Toure has made African football history after guiding Slovan Bratislava into the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase in his first senior managerial role.

The Ivorian legend watched his side survive a tense second leg against Slovenian outfit NK Celje before Cristian Martinez's extra-time winner sealed a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Slovan entered the decisive clash with a narrow 1-1 draw from the first leg, but the Slovakian champions quickly found themselves under pressure in Celje.

Andraž Šporar stunned the home supporters when he lifted the ball over goalkeeper Žan-Luk Leban to give Slovan the lead against the run of play. Celje responded before half-time, with Svit Sešlar converting from the penalty spot to level the match and restore parity in the tie.

The game remained finely balanced until the 100th minute, when Martinez produced the decisive moment. The forward lifted the ball over Leban and into the far corner, sparking wild celebrations among the travelling Slovan supporters.

The result completed a remarkable European turnaround for Toure, who only took charge of Slovan in June 2026. The former Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder had spent seven years working in various coaching and backroom roles before receiving his first senior managerial opportunity.

By taking Slovan Bratislava into the Champions League league phase, Toure has become the first African manager to lead a club into the main phase of Europe's elite competition.

His achievement builds on the pioneering work of fellow Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo. Egbo became the first African coach to win a UEFA Champions League match when he guided KF Tirana to a 2-0 victory over Dinamo Tbilisi during the 2020 qualifying rounds.

He had already made history by leading Tirana to the Albanian Superliga title, becoming the first African coach to win a top-flight European league championship. However, Egbo's Tirana ultimately fell to Red Star Belgrade in the second qualifying round.

Toure has now gone one step further. Slovan's victory means the Ivorian will lead his team into the Champions League league phase, giving African football another landmark moment on Europe's biggest club stage.

For a player who conquered Europe with Manchester City, Toure is now beginning to build a legacy of his own from the touchline.