MATCH PREVIEW: CanMNT expecting major test vs. African champions Côte d'Ivoire
The Canadian Shield wraps up on Tuesday at BMO Field, where the men's national team will play Côte d'Ivoire looking to make it a perfect two-for-two in this friendly tournament on home soil.
After beating Ukraine 4-2 on Saturday, Canada find themselves full of confidence, but now must prepare for a very different test against an African opponent who offer a variety of threats. Part of the intention behind scheduling these Canadian Shield friendlies is for Canada to play non-Concacaf opponents to prepare them for the World Cup; Côte d'Ivoire will be the first African team they have played since Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Côte d'Ivoire, or Les Éléphants, currently sit 41st in the FIFA World Rankings, 11 spots behind 30th-ranked Canada, but they're a nation with a rich footballing history and a lot of recent success.
The Ivorian side may not be particularly familiar to Canadians, but they offer a significant challenge due to their accomplishments in recent memory. They became one of the most fascinating stories in all of global football back in early 2024; Côte d'Ivoire hosted the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament (played in winter of 2024 due to weather concerns), and became unlikely continental champions with a fascinating, turbulent run through the tournament on home soil.
Côte d'Ivoire finished third in Group A as hosts, losing heavily to Equatorial Guinea and narrowly to Nigeria, which prompted the national federation to fire coach Jean-Louis Gasset mid-tournament, leaving assistant Emerse Faé in charge for the knockout stages (for which they barely qualified as a third-place team with three points). They went on to beat Senegal on penalties, Mali in extra time, and Democratic Republic of Congo in the semi-final, setting up a rematch with Nigeria in the final.
Played in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan, the final was a triumph for Les Éléphants, who were a goal down at halftime but won thanks to a Franck Kessié equalizer and 82nd-minute winner by Sébastian Haller.
KEY TAKEAWAYS: What we learned from CanMNT vs. Ukraine ahead of Ivory Coast test
So, Côte d'Ivoire are the reigning African champions until at least next winter, when they'll play in the 2025 AFCON tournament.
That makes this window an important one for them too, this being one of very few opportunities for them to play non-African opposition. New Zealand on Saturday was the first game they've played against a team outside of CAF since March 2024; Tuesday's game against Canada will be their first against a Concacaf opponent since they played Mexico in 2013. Considering that there will be between six and eight Concacaf teams at the 2026 World Cup, there's a strong chance that Côte d'Ivoire could encounter one next summer -- if they qualify.
They have CAF World Cup qualifiers coming up in September and October before AFCON kicks off in December. Their spot in the 2026 World Cup isn't yet guaranteed, but they're top of their group with six out of 10 matches played.
A few of Côte d'Ivoire's most recognizable names weren't named to the squad for this trip to Toronto; Roma defender Evan Ndicka, Villarreal's Eric Bailly, and Manchester United attacker Amad Diallo are among the significant absences.
However, nine of the 16 players who appeared in last February's AFCON final are in the squad, including six of their starters. Haller and Kessié, goalscorers from that match, are with the squad, as is AFCON Young Player of the Tournament Simon Adingra. Also in the team up front is Tajon Buchanan's Villarreal teammate Nicolas Pépé.
The Ivorians played New Zealand on Saturday and fell 1-0 in a frustrating match, but their lineup was fairly heavily rotated, suggesting they've held something back to take on a stronger Canada side. Expect the likes of Haller, Adingra and Kessié to draw in, as well as Atalanta fullback Odilon Kossounou, Monaco centre-back Wilfried Singo, and Nottingham Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré.
Photo: Michael Chisholm
For Canada's part, head coach Jesse Marsch also indicated after the win over Ukraine that he intends to rotate his lineup significantly in order to get as much of his squad as possible on the pitch at the Canadian Shield. With the Gold Cup upcoming, Marsch will want to determine who is in form and can be trusted for big moments in that tournament. He did reveal in Monday's press availability that Cyle Larin will captain the team on Tuesday night, which means he'll start up front while Stephen Eustáquio and Jonathan David drop to the bench.
Dayne St. Clair seems likely to start in goal after Maxime Crépeau got the nod vs. Ukraine. Meanwhile, this is could be an opportunity for Joel Waterman, Ismaël Koné, and Richie Laryea to start as well. Marsch has a lot of attacking depth, so a full rotation up front wouldn't be a surprise. Jonathan David's minutes are being managed right now, so Daniel Jebbison or Tani Oluwaseyi could also play in the strike pairing. Meanwhile, Tajon Buchanan played 90 minutes vs. Ukraine -- which he has not done since 2023, so it's unlikely he starts.
Jayden Nelson looked excellent in his substitute appearance on Saturday, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him and Vancouver Whitecaps teammate Ali Ahmed start on opposite flanks.
So, Canada's depth will be tested against a tricky opponent on Tuesday night, which will be a year and two days away from their World Cup opener in the same stadium.
It's worth noting that this Canadian Shield tournament does have a competitive aspect; Canada currently top the table with a better goal difference than second-place New Zealand, who play Ukraine earlier on Tuesday afternoon. Any game that ends in a draw will have a penalty shootout, with two points awarded to the winner and one to the loser.
Another win for Canada, however, would likely be enough to clinch it, unless New Zealand can rout Ukraine.
After that, it'll be off to Vancouver, where the Canadians will have their sights set firmly on a continental title of their own at the Gold Cup.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Canada: St. Clair; Laryea, Waterman, Cornelius, Adekugbe; Nelson, Koné, Osorio, Ahmed; Oluwaseyi, Larin
Côte d'Ivoire: Fofana; Kossounou, Gbamin, Singo, Konan; Kessié, Latte Lath, I. Sangaré; Pépé, Haller, Adingra
ALL-TIME SERIES
First meeting between these sides.
