Slovan Bratislava will compete in this season's UEFA Champions League league phase after Yaya Touré guided the Slovak champions through three qualifying rounds, making him the first African coach to take a club into the competition's main draw. The milestone came on Wednesday when Slovan defeated NK Celje 2-1 after extra time in the second leg of the final qualifying tie, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory.

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The decisive goal arrived in the 100th minute when Cristian Martinez scored to give Slovan the edge and confirm their place among the 36 clubs in this season's league phase. The win completed a qualifying run that began against Georgia's Saburtalo and included a tie with Sweden's Mjallby before the final against Celje.

Toure, 43, achieved the landmark in his first senior managerial job. Appointed Slovan's head coach in June, he has rapidly taken the club from domestic champions into Europe's elite club competition. As a player he won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009; he now returns to the tournament from the touchline.

The achievement also redescribes recent African coaching firsts in Europe. It moves beyond the prior milestone set by Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo, who led KF Tirana into Champions League qualifying rounds in 2020 but did not progress to the main competition. Toure's success establishes a new benchmark for African coaches in the competition's group phase.

Slovan's reward is immediate and daunting, they are scheduled to visit defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in their opening league-phase fixture on Wednesday. PSG arrive as back-to-back title winners, having lifted the Champions League in 2025 and again in 2026, and will present one of the toughest early tests for Toure's side.

For Slovan Bratislava, the result secures entry into the Champions League's most visible stage. For Touré it is a personal and professional leap from a debut senior job to managing on Europe's biggest club pitch. The coming fixtures will reveal whether this rapid ascent can be sustained against the continent's top teams.