Yaya Toure has made African football history after guiding Slovan Bratislava into the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase in his first senior managerial role, Trybal News reports.
The Ivorian legend saw his side survive a tense second leg against Slovenian club NK Celje. Cristian Martinez then struck in extra time to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Slovan entered the decisive match after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. However, the Slovakian champions quickly came under pressure in Celje.
Against the run of play, Andraž Šporar gave Slovan the lead. He lifted the ball over goalkeeper Žan-Luk Leban to silence the home crowd.
Celje responded before half time. Svit Sešlar converted from the penalty spot to level the match and restore parity in the tie.
The contest remained finely balanced after the break. Neither side could find another goal during normal time, sending the tie into extra time.
Then, in the 100th minute, Martinez produced the decisive moment. The forward lifted the ball over Leban and found the far corner.
The goal sparked wild celebrations among the travelling Slovan supporters. More importantly, it completed a memorable European breakthrough for Toure.
Yaya Toure reaches historic coaching milestone
Yaya Toure only took charge of Slovan Bratislava in June 2026. Before that appointment, the former Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder spent seven years working in different coaching and backroom roles.
His rapid progress has now delivered a major milestone. By leading Slovan into the Champions League league phase, Toure has become the first African manager to take a club into the main phase of Europe’s elite competition.
The achievement adds another chapter to his remarkable football career. Toure enjoyed an outstanding playing career with Manchester City and Ivory Coast before turning his attention to coaching.
His success also follows the pioneering work of fellow Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo. Egbo made history in 2020 when he became the first African coach to win a UEFA Champions League match.
He guided KF Tirana to a 2 0 victory over Dinamo Tbilisi during the Champions League qualifying rounds. Earlier, he had also led Tirana to the Albanian Superliga title.
That triumph made Egbo the first African coach to win a top flight European league championship. However, his Tirana side later lost to Red Star Belgrade in the second qualifying round.
Now, Yaya Toure has created another landmark moment for African coaches in European football. His first senior managerial campaign has already taken him to the Champions League league phase, with Slovan Bratislava preparing for the next stage of their European adventure.
