Yaya Touré becomes first African coach to lead a club into the Champions League

Yaya Touré has made history in his first senior managerial job, guiding Slovan Bratislava into the UEFA Champions League league phase as the first African coach to achieve the feat.

Slovan secured its place among the competition’s 36 league-phase clubs by defeating Slovenia’s NK Celje 2-1 after extra time in the second leg of their final qualifying tie. The Slovak champions won 3-2 on aggregate after Cristian Martinez scored in the 100th minute.

Touré took charge of Slovan in June and guided the club through three qualifying rounds. The campaign began against Georgia’s Saburtalo, followed by victories over Sweden’s Mjallby and Celje in the final playoff round.

The achievement surpasses the previous milestone set by Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo, who led Albania’s KF Tirana into the Champions League qualifying rounds in 2020 but did not reach the main competition.

Touré, who won the Champions League as a Barcelona player in 2009, now returns to the tournament from the dugout. His first league-phase assignment will take Slovan to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who are seeking a third consecutive title after winning in 2025 and 2026.