Ivory Coast made it three wins from three in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with a 2-1 victory over Gambia in Bouake on Thursday.

Malick Yalcouye put the Elephants ahead in the 17th minute before Elye Wahi doubled their advantage seven minutes later with his first goal for his country on his ninth appearance. Gambia pulled one back in the 38th minute, but Ivory Coast held on to remain top of Group C.

Herve Renard’s side will take a significant step towards qualification if they win against Gambia again in Bakau on Tuesday.

Player ratings

Yahia Fofana – 5: Preferred once again to Alban Lafont, the Rizespor goalkeeper dealt well with the limited threat he faced in the first half and was assured under high balls. He was alert when Luck Zogbe’s poor back-pass put him under pressure in the 21st minute, coming out of his area to clear the danger. He had no chance when Musa Barrow’s shot took a deflection off his defence and went in.

Luck Zogbe – 5: His misplaced pass towards Fofana was a concern, but the Brest full-back recovered defensively and also carried an attacking threat. Baboucarr Gaye had to turn his effort behind in the 29th minute. He struggled more after the interval as Ivory Coast’s team came under pressure.

Ousmane Diomande – 5: Selected ahead of Emmanuel Agbadou alongside Evan Ndicka, the Nottingham Forest defender inadvertently diverted Barrow’s shot into his own goal. He did, however, stop Muhammed Badamosi after a dangerous Gambia attack in the 50th minute.

Evan Ndicka – 5: The defensive leader was barely troubled before half-time, largely because of his discipline and concentration, although he was part of a collective drop in performance after the break.

Hassane Kamara – 6: Making his first international start after more than a year away, the Udinese defender stepped in effectively for the injured Ghislain Konan. He made an important defensive contribution in the 56th minute and produced a skilful touch that delighted the crowd. He was replaced by Franck Kessie in the 70th minute, with Kessie not rated.

Amad Diallo – 7, player of the match: Handed his first Ivory Coast call-up by Renard, the Manchester United forward was constantly available and repeatedly attacked Gambia’s defence. He narrowly missed connecting with a cross at the penalty spot in the 22nd minute and almost won a penalty eight minutes later. He missed a clear chance to restore a two-goal lead in the 55th minute, hesitating after being released through on goal, while Gaye saved his effort in the 79th. Martial Godo replaced him in the 81st minute, without a rating.

Ibrahim Sangare – 5: Stronger in the opening half, the captain faded during the final 30 minutes and was at fault when Yankuba Minteh was allowed a dangerous opportunity in the 85th minute.

Malick Yalcouye – 6: Despite limited playing time at Brighton, he justified his selection by converting Nicolas Pepe’s cleverly taken free-kick. He controlled the ball on his chest before beating Gaye, but tired noticeably in the second half and was caught offside in the 84th minute. Emmanuel Agbadou came on in stoppage time, at 90+2, without a rating.

Nicolas Pepe – 6: The Villarreal winger supplied several dangerous deliveries in the first 30 minutes, including the quickly taken free-kick for the opener and a cross that found Diallo in the 22nd minute. He shot wide in the 4th and 45+3 minutes before fading after the interval. Kassoum Ouattara replaced him in the 70th minute, without a rating.

Elye Wahi – 6: Beaten to the ball by Gaye in the 10th minute, the Nice striker scored his first international goal in his ninth appearance when he met Yan Diomande’s unselfish pass at the penalty spot in the 24th minute. He was replaced by Oumar Diakite in the 70th minute, who was rated 5/10. Diakite was denied by a goal-line clearance in the 75th minute and later sent a dangerous back-pass in the 86th.

Yan Diomande – 7: The Golden Boy intercepted a poor pass before setting up Wahi for Ivory Coast’s second goal. A threat every time he received possession, he was denied a late goal by an excellent save from Gaye in the 88th minute.