Franck Kessié agrees with head coach that Ivory Coast team lacks maturity

Ivory Coast continued showed very good form in the recent international break, securing two consecutive victories. The Elephants edged past Burundi 1-0 away from home before replicating the same result against Gambia on the road.

These crucial wins have given Ivory Coast the top of Group F with 16 points and one-point lead over second-placed Gabon with four rounds remaining in the qualifiers.

Following the second match, Ivory Coast star Franck Kessié expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performances.

“It’s a championship, and I think the most important thing is to get points. In June 2026, there is a qualification at the end for the World Cup. It has been two editions that Côte d’Ivoire has not participated. For us, it’s very important to be there. So, we did our best. We took six precious points. We are very happy and very satisfied with our collective performance. I think that with time and work, we will secure qualification,” Kessié said in the mixed zone, as reported by Sport-Ivoire.ci.

Kessié also thinks his team lacks some maturity, agreeing with head coach Emerse Faé’s analysis of them.

“I think the coach has a better vision than us. This is his analysis, and we must accept it. I totally agree with him. We will try to be more mature and gain more experience as the games go by. We hope to make progress in this direction,” he added.