Kossounou and the Elephants took on the defending champions Senegal in the last 16. It finished 1-1 after 90 and then 120 minutes, meaning the tie went to a shootout. The Ivorians converted all five of their spot-kicks to win 5-4 and progress. Kossounou started the game for his first appearance at this year’s tournament, being substituted off in the 116th minute. The hosts will now face Mali in the final eight.
It was Mali who knocked out Tapsoba and Burkina Faso by winning 2-1 in the round of 16. The Werkself defender again started the match in Korhogo but unfortunately put into his own net in the third minute of the defeat. The dream of being crowned Africa’s best is also over for Adli after his Morocco side were beaten 2-0 by South Africa in San Pedro. The Bayer 04 forward made his first start of the tournament and was replaced on the hour mark.
Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast):
Mali vs. Ivory Coast, 3 February (18:00 CET)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended Abdoulaye Faye’s contract by a further year to 30 June 2031. During the 2026/27 season, the talented defender will play for Celta Vigo on loan without an option to buy. The 21-year-old Senegalese is set to feature in La Liga and the UEFA Europa League with last season’s sixth-placed side in Spain.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme on day one (Sunday 2 August) includes a media round with managing director sport Simon Rolfes, free time for the team after the friendly against Rot-Weiss Essen and before an intensive week of training begins, as well as a coffee get-together where CEO Fernando Carro and Rolfes met around 100 fans in the afternoon.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed Kerim Alajbegovic’s transfer to Italian record champions Juventus. The club brought the 18-year-old attacking player back to Leverkusen this summer via a buy-back option, following a season at Red Bull Salzburg. Until his move to Austria, the Bosnia international had been playing for Bayer 04’s Under-19s.
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A warm welcome to the Weimarer Land, Bayer 04! The Werkself moved into their accommodation for this year’s training camp on Saturday evening. In Blankenhain, Thuringia, head coach Carles Martínez’s team have a programme of gruelling training sessions – several of which will be open to fans – and team-building activities lined up for the next six days. We’ll be following the Werkself up close and providing you with exclusive insights, quotes, photos and videos from the training camp.
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With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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