International Duty, Bonny features in Ivory Coast's win

The first day of international fixtures saw the first Nerazzurri player take to the pitch for his national team: Ange-Yoan Bonny, who featured in Ivory Coast’s victory over Ghana in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Among the Europeans involved in Nations League matches, Yann-Aurel Bisseck remained on the bench for Germany in their home draw against the Netherlands, while Aleksandar Stankovic was an unused substitute in Serbia’s home defeat to Greece.

Ivory Coast faced Ghana in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. The game, played at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, ended in a 2-0 victory for the hosts. Bonny, named in the starting XI by head coach Hervé Renard, played 72 minutes before being replaced by Wahi. Yalcouye opened the scoring in the 44th minute, before Kessié doubled the hosts’ lead in the 58th. It was a positive result for Ivory Coast, who began their qualifying campaign with a win. The Elephants currently sit top of the group, pending the meeting between Gambia and Somalia, the other two nations in the group alongside Ghana, who remain bottom following this defeat.