Ace Football presents a detailed list of the best footballers to have starred for the Elephants.
There are not a lot of African nations that have the same history of great international stars as the Ivory Coast. The Elephants have not won the Africa Cup of Nations as much as the continents’ main football powerhouses.
However, their long-running affiliation with the European market has introduced their rich football culture to fans across the world.
Let’s take a look at our picks for the best Elephants XI of all time.
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Goalkeeper: Alain Gouamene
Gouamene does not have many close contenders when it comes to the greatest Ivorian keepers of all time. He was a key player behind Ivory Coast’s 1992 AFCON win.
His performance against Ghana in the final’s penalty shootouts secured his place among the nation’s all-time greats. Gouamene has played more than any other Ivorian goalkeeper in the AFCON, making 24 appearances in seven different tournaments.
Left Back: Arthur Boka
Boka played both as a left-back and a left-winger during his international career between 2006 and 2013. The former Stuttgart star represented the Elephants in two World Cups and five AFCON tournaments.
At the club level, Boka started his career in Europe by joining Belgian side Beveren. He then joined Stuttgart, where he won the Bundesliga in 2007. Boka’s 11-year international career saw him make 85 caps for Ivory Coast.
Centre Back: Kolo Toure
You cannot make a list of the greatest Ivorian players without mentioning Toure brothers. A member of Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ team of 2003-04, Kolo was one of the best Premier League defenders of the early 2000s.
Later on, he joined Manchester City, where he won another Premier League title in 2012. Toure’s presence in Ivory Coast’s backline was crucial to their AFCON triumph in 2015.
He is the second-most capped player for the Elephants, making 118 international appearances while representing his nation in three World Cups.
Centre Back: Henry Konan
One of the best African defenders of the 1960s, Konan rose to stardom at Stade d’Abidjan. He helped the Ivorian giants win the 1966 African Cup of Champions Clubs.
During his international career between 1961 and 1968, Konan starred for the Elephants in two AFCON tournaments. He went on to score in the semi-finals on both occasions but could not win the trophy after final heartbreaks.
As one of the first football stars after Ivory Coast’s independence, Konan has inspired several generations of Ivorian defenders.
Right Back: Emmanuel Eboue
Similar to Kolo Toure, Eboue established his reputation in European football by starring for Arsenal. He made over 200 appearances for the Gunners, winning the 2005 FA Cup.
Having made his international debut in 2004, Eboue went on to make 79 caps for the Elephants. He represented Ivory Coast in five AFCON tournaments and two World Cups in 2006 and 2010.
Eboue was famous for his combination of physical presence and quick runs down the right flank. His 11 appearances for Arsenal during the 2005-06 Champions League was a key part of their impressive run to the competition’s final.
Midfielders
Central Midfielder: Didier Zokora
Ivory Coast’s most capped player started his European career by playing for Genk and Saint-Etienne. His brilliant performances in the 2006 World Cup earned him a move to Tottenham, where he won the English League Cup in 2008.
A move to Sevilla in 2008 provided a chance for Zokora to establish himself as one of La Liga’s top midfielders. He made 79 appearances for Sevilla, helping them win the Copa del Rey in 2010.
After making his international debut in 2000, Zokora went on to make 123 appearances for the Elephants, representing them in three World Cups.
Central Midfielder: Yaya Toure
Toure is widely considered among the best African midfielders of all time, playing an integral role in Manchester City’s Premier League triumph in 2012.
He had already won the Champions League at Barcelona when he joined the Citizens back in 2010. His incredible performances for City during their 2013-14 league campaign convinced many to believe that he deserved to win the Player of the Season award.
Toure went on to win two more Premier League trophies at Etihad while securing four African Player of the Year awards. He captained Ivory Coast in their 2015 AFCON triumph. His combination of leadership qualities and incredible versatility secured his name among Ivory Coast and Manchester City’s all-time greats.
Attacking Midfielder: Serge Maguy
Maguy started his career at Africa Sports before moving to Atletico Madrid in 1995. However, his time in Spain lasted only a few months, with the Ivorian star returning to his country to play for ASEC Mimosas.
He was one of the best players in Ivory Coast’s Ligue 1, securing an undisputed starting place in the Elephants squad during the 1990s. Maguy was a key player in Ivory Coast’s first AFCON win in 1992, taking his total caps tally to 58.
Forwards
Left Winger: Salomon Kalou
Another former Mimosas star, Kalou, started his European career by playing for Feyenoord. His brilliant performances in Eredivisie convinced Chelsea to sign him in 2006, with the Ivorian soon becoming one of Jose Mourinho’s favourite players at Stamford Bridge.
Kalou’s game-deciding goals made him a fan-favourite at Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and Premier League titles. The former Lille star was a crucial part of Ivory Coast’s AFCON win in 2015. He made a total of 83 caps for the Elephants, representing them in three World Cups and six AFCON tournaments.
Right Winger: Laurent Pokou
Despite suffering from several severe injuries during his career, Pokou is still among the greatest African forwards of all time.
He scored 14 goals in two AFCON tournaments in 1968 and 1970, seeing only Samuel Eto’o ahead of him in the competition’s all-time goalscoring charts.
Pokou spent most of his career in Ligue 1, where he scored 44 goals in 63 appearances for Rennes. IFFHS named him the seventh-best African player of the 20th century.
Striker: Didier Drogba
Arguably the best Ivorian player of all time, Drogba is also one of the greatest strikers to have graced the Premier League. During his two spells at the club, ‘Tito’ won the Champions League, four Premier League titles and four FA Cups.
He made one of the best performances in the Champions League history when Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich in the tournament’s 2012 final. The Ivorian great claimed two Premier League Golden Boots while becoming the first African star to score over 100 goals in the English top flight.
Drogba won the African Footballer of the Year award twice, scoring 65 goals in his 101 appearances for Ivory Coast.
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