AFCON 2027 qualifiers - Côte d’Ivoire vs Gambia: Evan Ndicka appeals to the Ivorian people

The Ivorian defender has a message for the Ivorian people

Africa Today at 07:05

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AFCON 2027 qualifiers - Côte d’Ivoire vs Gambia: Evan Ndicka appeals to the Ivorian people

12.11.26 14:00 AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

Ivory Coast

Gambia

This Thursday, Côte d’Ivoire’s Elephants host Gambia in the third round of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday evening, Evan Ndicka had a message for the Ivorian public.

At the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire face Gambia tonight. While reaffirming that qualification was the priority, Hervé Renard stressed yesterday the importance of the team’s result rather than the identity of the goalscorers. “What matters to me is that, at the end of the match, the scoreboard shows a positive result. If Ndicka scores tomorrow, it doesn’t matter. If it’s not a centre-forward, that’s absolutely fine with me,” he said.

The coach also welcomed the reception the Elephants received on their arrival in Bouaké. “Thank you, Bouaké. It’s always a pleasure to be welcomed like that, and it also shows how much the supporters are looking forward to this,” he said.

🚨 MATCHDAY ! Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 - Gambie 🇬🇲 🏟️ Stade de la Paix 🕖 19h (CIV) / 20h (FR) 📺 RTI La 3 / Bein Sports Votre pronostic ? 👀 https://t.co/VDnC6VcjGZ
— Séléphanto Football 🇨🇮 (@Selephanto) November 12, 2026

Evan Ndicka calls for support

Centre-back Evan Ndicka acknowledged that the clash would not be easy. He spoke about the good understanding among the defenders, who know one another well. “We know each other very well, so we train well together. For me, there’s no apprehension; it’s just a pleasure to have the support and backing of defenders like these,” he explained.

As favourites for the match, the Elephants will be able to count on the support of the Bouaké crowd. Evan Ndicka even made an appeal to the supporters: “Get behind us all the way, make some noise—it’ll encourage us.”

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Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.