00:00Not to have conceded in Group C, we are underway.
00:04Somalia nominally at home,
00:07taking on Cote d'Ivoire in Ivory Coast itself.
00:16Somalia all in blue playing from right to left,
00:19and the elephants in there, familiar orange.
00:22Left to right.
00:28This is, on paper, a mismatch.
00:33Three-time African champions,
00:35the last as recently as two and a half years ago.
00:39Up against a team ranked 53rd on the continent.
00:47And a reminder, if you need it,
00:49that Africa only has 54 nations, so only one worse.
00:54Just inside the top 200.
00:57And our Somalia are 199th.
01:01The Ivorians 31st in the world.
01:05Sixth in Africa.
01:09And a team that is coming here off the back of reaching the knockout stages
01:13of the World Cup for the very first time in their history.
01:23their eighth entry into the Africa Cup of Nations.
01:26The first time they've ever gone past the preliminary stages.
01:30They first tried to reach this stage in the 70s and 80s.
01:39They were unable to do it.
01:42Here's El Cuyo.
01:47Pepe with a striker goal!
01:49Just past the post.
01:51Well, that was it.
01:55Sighted up, pulled the trigger.
01:59Delivered a blistering effort.
02:01Look at that lovely skill.
02:04He really wasn't too far away from throwing it past Ibrahim.
02:08Go ahead and beat Hassada,
02:10He can't control it.
02:19He can't control it.
02:20He can't control it.
02:40that looked like a handball doing well to sort of read the challenges
02:48here he is again the youngster with Fiorentino in Italy into Zoghbe pullback oh that's a lovely
02:56bit of play from Malik Yalcuyo with the feint to open up the opportunity to get a strike away
03:06unable to get the strike away but nice idea
03:15Faisal Othman away but only as far as Pepe
03:22Pepe again Jinking was thinking about the cross then it turned into thinking about the shot
03:29Kessier Zoghbe Zoghbe will have enough of the opportunity
03:42plays his football in France with Brest in the top tier
03:45Zoghbe the right back just 21 years of age so very much at the early stages of his
03:54Ivorian career here's Diomondé into Waii well the flag went up
04:02one does wonder if it's just a matelands of the Japanese
04:08well Diomondé getting a little bit of corner practice in
04:19short on this occasion
04:23Kessier measuring it up
04:25doesn't go through to Zoghbe
04:27Pepe trying to pick it up and fighting for it on the edge of the area
04:33there's a man over if he can find him
04:35he's just struggling to hold on to the ball
04:37Bilal
04:38Njaye
04:40and now Pepe is skipping past
04:43to the byline he goes well he had the presence of mind to play it back to
04:48Yal Kouya who could not
04:51get a clean strike
04:55when it almost got stuck under the body of Ahmed Hussain
04:59and if you're on one side of the stadium you may well have thought that that was the opening goal
05:03of the game
05:05as it is it was well wide from the 20-year-old
05:14Kessier now back in Italy with Atlanta
05:17and Atlanta
05:19going left Saudi football
05:21Yal Kouya just played into him very hard
05:27Suleiman
05:27up to Njaye who's shown good willing and running the 28-year-old
05:35Suleiman
05:36skips away
05:39into Hassan
05:41two in the middle
05:43and still he goes Hassan he needs to deliver this in because there were three now and
05:49can he finally do so when he goes down in the area and he's waved up and he thinks that
05:55that should have been a penalty as does he
06:09up goes Njaye and Marcis will pick up their second ball
06:19Suleiman
06:20Sharif
06:20back to Marcis
06:22just too much on the pass to Suleiman
06:26Sharif again just
06:28losing out and conceding the free kick which Yal Kouya takes quickly
06:32Giamonde back to the Brighton man
06:35to the Real Madrid man
06:37and back into Yal Kouya and still he goes
06:41and just like Zembe a minute or so ago
06:45good interplay
06:51trying to create the space to
06:54find a way past Omar
06:57if he's not to go
07:00down the tunnel early which would
07:02really crank up the pressure on Somalia
07:06who have been impressive so far
07:14they have not threatened at the other end but
07:18they have held the elephants and contained them
07:25they have not been able to do that for now
07:31Pepe trying to go for goal and against the crossbar
07:37well that's how close
07:39the Ivoryans are to opening the scoring
07:42and Woodwork coming to the rescue
07:44Balala Jay is offside
07:55and it's farther from the Gambia
07:57and it's farther from the Gambia
08:17he's just moving all across that
08:21front line just behind Yal Kouya
08:24for the goal
08:36Akbadi into Ndike
08:38both central defenders
08:41in the Somali half
08:43Giamonde
08:46Giamondé. Nadika back into Giamondé. Kessier. Yalcouye. Sharif away.
09:08Giamondé. Final go. That's nice from Giamondé. Wai in the middle and important from Omar.
09:17Really good header. Purposeful cross from the left-hand side.
09:23And that's it. They've done it, Somalia, for the first half. At least they have kept
09:29the mighty Ivory Coast at bay. One of the more experienced members of the side.
09:38At the age of 32. And he will slot into Central Defence as well.
09:53Well. Can the Ivorians change it up or will it be more of the same?
09:58What has been frustration so far.
10:09You know, Ulai just too much on that.
10:13Go for Zogbe.
10:17Look at Zogbe.
10:20There it is. Debut.
10:22Back in 2023. Sorry. Back in June 2025.
10:30Then was overlooked for a long spell until the game against Garner on Thursday.
10:40He's been getting forward a great deal down that right flank.
10:43without a key assist for now.
10:51Peve back to Zogbe.
10:58He does well.
11:00He now Ulai.
11:02Kessier just lifting it up towards Yalcouye.
11:05Good first touch from him.
11:10Conor.
11:11Lifting it up to the back stick.
11:13Ahmed Hussain gets it away.
11:14Not fully cleared.
11:15Kessier.
11:16And that's really good defending from Somalia.
11:18Not once but twice getting their bodies in the way.
11:22And drawing the free kick as well.
11:24To clear their lines.
11:28To frustrate the Ivorians.
11:34Ahmed Hussain.
11:37The player down.
11:39He wasn't actually involved in that preliminary round victory.
11:44Over Mauritius playing in neither leg.
11:48Instead it was Aliyah Sheikh Saeed who was preferred.
11:56On the bench tonight.
11:58The 24-year-old.
12:03So a ready-made replacement.
12:06Young goalkeepers.
12:08Ahmed Hussain here.
12:09Just 20.
12:14And Aliyah Sheikh Saeed.
12:1624.
12:24And he had a fairly solid first half.
12:29Ahmed Hussain arguably a fault for the Gambian winner.
12:34On Friday.
12:37And he failed to deal with a cross that came into a six-yard area.
12:41His territory.
12:44It would be an absolutely fascinating encounter.
12:46That one if they go in with the confidence of having avoided defeat against Ivory Coast tonight.
12:55Diomondi.
12:55Space here.
12:564-on-3 just for a moment.
12:584-on-4 now.
12:58Pepe.
12:59Working it onto his left.
13:03Failing to.
13:05Reproduce his usual trick of.
13:08Finding the far corner.
13:13And the Ivorians being forced backwards from a position on the edge of the Somali area.
13:20Excellent organisation from the East Africans.
13:25Sticking to their shape.
13:31Forcing the Ivorians to
13:35find a way through rather than gifting them an easy opportunity.
13:40Yal Kouye.
13:43He had the space.
13:45Certainly did not have the finish.
13:49He's such a familiar sight.
13:51Herve Renard in that white shirt of his.
13:53And prowling the touchline for the Ivorians.
13:56It seems very much as if he is home.
14:00Yal Kouye gets away from one.
14:05Giamondi.
14:06Pepe in a little bit of space.
14:08To take it down.
14:10Into Zogbe.
14:12Kessier.
14:15Dica.
14:19Giamondi.
14:19Konop.
14:21Yal Kouye.
14:22And here he is again.
14:24And now Yal Kouye.
14:25And Giamondi was thinking about the overhead.
14:30Instead the offside flag is up.
14:31And now Yal Kouye.
14:35And now Yal Kouye.
14:35Probing on the edge of the area and looking.
14:44Konop.
14:54Somalia yet to concede in this Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
14:59If you discount the penalties against Mauritius in the preliminary round.
15:04Kessier.
15:05Trying to change that into Wahi.
15:08And it is in the neck of the net.
15:10But the offside flag is up on the far side.
15:14And Somalia is only just.
15:24Causing the Somali to go down.
15:38Well they've got some youngsters on the bench there.
15:40Likes of Roya.
15:42For Fana.
15:44Another to be brought in.
15:45Here's Pepe.
15:46We'll come to that in a moment.
15:48Yenow.
15:49Ulai.
15:50On target.
15:52And Ahmed Hussain.
15:53Equal to it.
15:57Yal Kouye.
16:17Yal Kouye.
16:22Option to his right hand side.
16:24And instead he went for glory.
16:26And for goal.
16:28And Pepe.
16:29Hands on head.
16:30Because he knew that he was in space.
16:32And it wasn't the right option.
16:35They played their game.
16:37But defended when they have had to.
16:39Which has been obviously for significant periods of the game.
16:46Not a single shot on target at the other end.
16:49Not a single shot.
16:50Nor off.
16:52But a point.
16:53Would be a point.
16:54Zabi.
16:54With a strike.
16:55Really excellent save from Ahmed Hussain.
16:59Well what a turn for the substitute.
17:01And what power he generated as well.
17:05And Ahmed Hussain had to be alert to it.
17:09And then the follow-up was put over.
17:23Kessier looking for Touré.
17:25And now plays Conoy.
17:28That's nicely done by him.
17:30Gets away from the substitute.
17:32Into the middle it goes off.
17:34Just a stud or so away.
17:37From possibly poking that pass.
17:38Ahmed Hussain.
17:39Somalia to drop down below Ghana.
17:44There you have.
17:46Done his conceded corner.
17:48Osman.
17:51But he gets the congratulations for preventing the free kick from
17:54traveling into a more dangerous position.
17:57Jordan.
17:58Short on this occasion from Diomondi.
18:01Touré into the middle.
18:02And away it goes.
18:04Hassan now.
18:06Touré coming in on the wrong side.
18:08To him.
18:09Touré trying to break the Somali delight.
18:16Conor will get on the end of this.
18:17And though he won't.
18:19Well, Boho.
18:20Now Kouya interested.
18:21Here's the volley.
18:23Danger not fully cleared.
18:25Ivory Coast applying the pressure later on.
18:28Into the middle it goes.
18:30And away from Ahmed Hussain.
18:31And then it's finally.
18:32The Somali resistance is broken.
18:36And it's the substitute.
18:38Jan Boho.
18:39On his debut.
18:40Just minutes after coming on.
18:42With his first goal for the Ivorians.
18:48To finally.
18:49Give the three-time African champions the lead.
18:54Against the side ranked 53rd on the continent.
18:58And it has taken them nearly the entirety of 90 minutes to get there.
19:04What a moment.
19:06For the 25-year-old.
19:10And what dismay for Somalia.
19:17But whatever happens outside.
19:19They can walk away from this game with their head and replay of it.
19:29And then the break came his way after Ahmed Hussain cleared it away.
19:35One touch to control.
19:37And the second to fire home.
19:40The two substitutes.
19:42Heavily involved.
19:43Toure from the flanks.
19:46And Boho.
19:49In the middle of the park.
19:51Victory against Ghana that preceded it.
19:54He will be so enraged.
19:58As his head hits the pillow tonight.
20:00That they didn't manage to hold on.
20:02But he will also be immensely proud.
20:06Yusuf Alinor.
20:08This is it.
20:09More like it from the Ivorians.
20:10Against the Brooks.
20:11Can they make it too?
20:12Well, they can.
20:14It's a gloss on the scoreline.
20:15There may be harsh.
20:17On Somalia.
20:19But another substitute.
20:20Bazumana Toure.
20:22Has found the back of the net.
20:25To seal the win.
20:27And finally.
20:29But daylight.
20:31Between Ivory Coast.
20:34And Somalia.
20:45Well, Ahmed Hussein.
20:46Just unable to hold it.
20:47In the end.
20:49And it is right at the death.
20:56And the might of the elephants.
20:58Has shone through.
20:59This was nice.
21:00A really good driving run.
21:01And then look.
21:01A little deflection off.
21:03Giggly.
21:04Touch that onto the post.
21:06Here it is.
21:09Geomande's effort.
21:10Just there.
21:11Getting a touch there.
21:13Otherwise.
21:15The effort would have been off target.
21:18As it is.
21:19It's set up beautifully for the Newcastle United man.
21:25And that is that.
21:27The final kick of the game.
21:28Enabling the Ivorians to clinch it by two goals to nil.
21:35Two wins from two from Hervé Renard.
21:37On his comeback.
21:38As the Ivorian coach.
21:41And his side.
21:43On six points.
21:45Level with the Gambia.
21:46As said.
21:46Just behind them.
21:50Oh.
21:51Goal difference.
21:52Somalia.
21:53Well.
