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Yaya Touré becomes first African head coach to reach UEFA Champions League main round
Former Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Touré guided Slovakian club Slovan Bratislava through the qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the group phase.
The short version
- Yaya Touré led Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava to the UEFA Champions League main round, becoming the first African head coach to achieve the feat.
- Slovan Bratislava qualified after defeating Slovenian club NK Celje 3-2 on aggregate in their playoff tie on Wednesday.
- Touré, who became head coach of Slovan Bratislava in June, previously served as an assistant manager for various clubs and the Saudi Arabia national team.
- Slovan Bratislava will find out their main round opponents during the draw on Thursday in Madrid.
Key facts
- Yaya Touré became the first African coach to lead a team into the main round of the UEFA Champions League.[Al Jazeera]
- Slovan Bratislava earned their spot by defeating NK Celje 3-2 on aggregate in Slovenia on Wednesday.[Al Jazeera]
- Touré was appointed head coach of Slovan Bratislava in June.[Al Jazeera]
- Slovan Bratislava progressed through qualifying rounds starting in July, eliminating Saburtalo and Mjällby prior to the playoff phase.[Al Jazeera]
- The draw for the Champions League group phase takes place Thursday in Madrid.[Al Jazeera]