Standing ovations, resounding applause and warm embraces: After his teammates gave him a fitting reception a few days ago, Bayer 04 members of staff now congratulated Kossounou on winning AFCON with the Ivory Coast.
"I experienced everything at the tournament. Losing 4-0 in front of our own fans in the group stage was painful. But we kept on going and won in the end. That helps me and my mentality – hopefully I can pass on some of that to the team," said Kossounou.
The Ivorians started the tournament in their own country with a 2-0 win against Guinea-Bissau. However, the hosts lost the other group matches against Nigeria (0-1) and Equatorial Guinea (0-4). Ivory Coast went through the knockout rounds as one of the four best third-placed teams. Werkself player Kossounou did not play in the three group matches. Coach Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked following the two defeats and before the Round of 16 game.
His successor Emerse Faé made changes for the knockout rounds including bringing Kossounou into the line-up. The Leverkusen defender played 116 minutes in the win on penalties against Senegal in the Round of 16. The following quarter-final against Mali saw Kossounou sent off on 43 minutes for a second yellow card offence but the Ivorians went on to win 2-1 in extra time. That was followed by a 1-0 win against the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the suspended Werkself player looking on from the stands. Kossounou returned to the starting XI for the final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria – and he celebrated a 2-1 victory with his teammates.
Bayer 04 and catering partner Bayer Gastronomie have revised the public catering offer at the BayArena. A moderate price revision has become unavoidable due to increased raw material, energy and staff costs. Beer will now cost €5.10 (plus 20 cents) and Bratwurst €4.40 (plus 10 cents).
Show more
USA – it's common knowledge that everything here is supposed to be a bit bigger: The streets, the shops, the stadiums – and also the moments sometimes. For the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Inklusionswerkself (our team for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities) participation in the Genuine World Cup 2025 in Huston was more than just a big tournament. It was an experience that left its mark – from a sporting, human and international perspective.
Show more
Bayer 04 beat Dutch top-flight club Fortuna Sittard 2-1 a week ahead of the start of their league season. The Leverkusen goals were scored by Jarell Quansah and Amine Adli before half-time with the hosts pulling a goal back in the second 45 (70').
Show more
In their third friendly match of the summer preparations, the Werkself plays at Dutch first division club Fortuna Sittard. The match will take place on Friday, August 1 (kick-off: 19:00 CEST) at Fortuna Sittard Stadium. Werkself-TV will broadcast the match live and free in full length from 18:50 CEST... Note: Due to existing TV rights, the match cannot be viewed in the Netherlands.
Show more
