Yaya Touré becomes the first African coach to lead a team into the Champions League league phase

Ivory Coast great Yaya Toure has become the first African head coach to lead a team into the UEFA Champions League league phase after guiding Slovan Bratislava past NK Celje in dramatic fashion.

The Slovak champions secured a 2-1 extra-time victory in Slovenia on Wednesday to seal a 3-2 aggregate win and book their place in Europe’s elite club competition.

Toure’s side travelled to Celje with the tie finely balanced at 1-1 after the first leg and made a bright start when Andraz Sporar put them ahead in the 18th minute.

The hosts levelled before half-time after Svit Seslar converted a penalty, while Yaya Dukuly struck the post as Celje searched for a winner in normal time.

With the match heading towards penalties, Panamanian midfielder Cristian Martinez scored in the 100th minute to send Slovan into the league phase for only the second time in the club’s history.

The achievement marks another milestone in Toure’s early coaching career.

The 43-year-old, who was appointed Slovan head coach in June 2026 on a three-year contract after serving as an assistant with Saudi Arabia’s national team, has enjoyed an impressive start in Slovakia.

Slovan have remained unbeaten in 10 competitive matches under his leadership, building on a strong run of results since his arrival.

Toure’s success comes six years after Ndubuisi Egbo became the first African to manage a club in the Champions League with KF Tirana, although the Albanian side did not reach the competition’s main phase.

As a player, Toure lifted the Champions League trophy with Barcelona before winning three Premier League titles during a glittering spell with Manchester City.

Slovan will discover their league-phase opponents in Thursday’s draw, but Toure has already secured his place in African football history.