Ivory Coast coach Reynald Pedros doubts teams’ readiness for WAFCON 2026

Ivory Coast women’s national team coach Reynald Pedros has delivered a blunt assessment of his side, insisting his outfit are not ready for high-level competition as the team gears up for the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations.

Despite securing a 2-1 victory in their latest international friendly, Pedros made it clear that the performance fell short of expectations.

For the French tactician, the result offered little comfort as the team builds toward the Africa Cup of Nations. He stressed that mental strength and tactical discipline remain major concerns.

“We’re not ready to play at a high level. We’re not mentally ready, we’re not tactically ready,” Pedros admitted. “Everything we prepared during the week, tactically and defensively, we struggled to apply. Yes, we scored two goals, which is positive, but we also put ourselves under unnecessary pressure and lost confidence at times. The result is positive; the content is not satisfactory at all.”

Pedros revealed that what troubled him most was the contrast between the team’s focus in training and their approach on matchday. According to Pedros, the intensity, determination, and discipline shown during the week were not reflected on the pitch.

“I’m not satisfied with the behaviour, individually or collectively. That’s what bothers me the most,” he continued. “Compared to what we worked on, I saw very committed and focused players in training. But in the match, I saw something different from some of them — and I don’t like that at all.”

Pedros now wants a swift response when the team faces Kenya in their next friendly on March 4. He believes the upcoming fixture will provide another opportunity to correct mistakes and demonstrate tangible improvement.

“We’ll have to get back to work, put certain things back in order, and prepare properly for the Kenya match,” he said. “I expect to see a different side in a few days’ time — one that reflects what we demand and what we’ve been working on.”

Despite the win, the message from the Ivory Coast camp is clear: improvement is non-negotiable as the team looks to sharpen its edge ahead of continental competition.