Cote d’Ivoire host Ghana at the Stade de la Paix de Bouake on Friday, 24 September 2026, as two of African football’s leading nations begin their CAN 2027 qualifying campaigns.
The Group C match is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 GMT, with both sides seeking an early victory. The game will be broadcast by beIN Sports 2, Canal+ Afrique, SuperSport and SABC Sport.
The fixture brings together two teams with a long-running rivalry, although their recent form points in different directions.
Recent record favours Ghana
Ghana have the better overall record from the nine meetings played between February 2008 and June 2021. The Black Stars have won four times, compared with two victories for Cote d’Ivoire, while the other three matches ended in draws.
Those encounters have produced 23 goals, an average of 2.56 per game, underlining the competitive nature of the rivalry.
The most recent meetings were:
- 12 June 2021, friendly: Ghana 0-0 Cote d’Ivoire - 8 October 2019, friendly: Ghana 3-1 Cote d’Ivoire - 30 October 2015, CHAN: Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 Ghana - 18 October 2015, CHAN: Ghana 2-1 Cote d’Ivoire - 8 February 2015, CAN: Cote d’Ivoire 0-0 Ghana
Contrasting form before Bouake meeting
Cote d’Ivoire go into the match with home advantage and stronger recent attacking numbers. The Elephants have won four and lost two of their past six matches, scoring nine goals and keeping three clean sheets.
They are attempting to make a positive start to a new phase following their continental title in 2023. Their manager, Herve Renard, has also spoken positively about the quality of the squad available to him.
Ghana, by contrast, arrive under pressure after losing four of their last six matches. They failed to score in three of those games, recorded only one victory and kept two clean sheets during that sequence.
Carlos Queiroz’s side will therefore be looking to strengthen a defence that has been under scrutiny, while also coping with the absence of several senior players.
The recent momentum and Cote d’Ivoire’s greater attacking output have led the preview to favour the hosts. Although previous meetings have generally been closely contested, home advantage and the Elephants’ defensive record could prove decisive.
The prediction is a 2-0 victory for Cote d’Ivoire.
The published 1xbet prices list Cote d’Ivoire at 1.67 to win, with the draw at 3.60 and a Ghana victory at 4.75.