By Momodou Jarju
Côte d’Ivoire have severely dented The Gambia’s bid for a maiden appearance at the finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after narrowly beating them 1-0 on Monday at the Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny in Abidjan.
The Elephants’ striker Sebastian Haller scored the all-important goal just 15 minutes into the game when he headed in a well-placed assist from Brighton’s youngster Simon Adingra.
The Scorpions put up a strong-willed fight on the heels of a disappointing draw against Kenya in the previous game. Scores of chances were created in the second half in particular as they fought for an equaliser to no avail. After the final whistle, it should dawn on Gambians that reaching the finals looks farfetched.
Speaking to the press post-match, head coach Johnathan McKinstry shared his disappointment for not getting a result after playing a good game. For him, their regret was not converting the scores of chances they created.
“I think today is one of those games where you realise football is not always fair. We played a good game. We created a lot of chances and that’s where we fell down. We didn’t convert the chances. The Ivorian goalkeeper has done very well. The defenders have done very well in terms of last-ditch emergency defending, but we had five or six really good chances…I think had we drawn or won the game, I don’t think anyone could have complained,” he told the press.
The Scorpions’ Qualification Chances
The Gambia remain second from bottom with four points, 12 points behind leaders Côte d’Ivoire and 11 behind second-placed Gabon in Group F. For The Scorpions to have a chance to qualify, they need to win their remaining four matches in the group whilst current second-placed occupant Gabon, on 15 points, ought to lose theirs. At the same time, the other two group members, Burundi on 7 points and Kenya on 6 points, should garner less than 16 points as well. On 16 points, they would be second and tied with Côte d’Ivoire if they too lose all their remaining games. Goal difference would then decide who leads the pack.
Based on the novel qualification format CAF introduced as the global football showpiece got expanded for next year’s edition, only the group winner will secure automatic qualification while the four best-ranked second-placed finishers across the nine groups will be drawn into play-offs. The winners in the semi-finals face each other in the final to determine who plays at the intercontinental play-off tournament. From there, the winner would join five other teams across the globe to compete for the final two places at the 2026 finals. Accomplishing this feat has never been harder!
