Yaya Touré becomes first African coach in Champions League league phase

Yaya Touré has become the first African coach to lead a team into the league phase of the UEFA Champions League after guiding Slovan Bratislava to a dramatic victory on Wednesday night. The Slovakian club secured its place in Europe's premier club competition by defeating Slovenian side Celje 2-1 after extra time in the second leg of their final qualifying playoff, completing a 3-2 aggregate triumph. The decisive match took place at Arena Zdežele, where Slovan Bratislava took an early lead through Andraž Šporar in the 18th minute. Celje equalized from the penalty spot in the 34th minute via Svit Šešlar, and the tie remained level until extra time.