Eric Bailly’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning team: Where are they now?

As the central defender turns 28 on Tuesday, GOAL celebrate his Africa Cup of Nations-winning feat in the 2015 final and remember that continent-conquering Ivory Coast team.

Bailly hasn’t enjoyed the best of fortunes since the Afcon, as while he did secure a high-profile transfer to Manchester United, he’s struggled with form, fitness and playing time since first moving to Old Trafford.

Here’s how his teammates from that final victory over Ghana in Bata have fared in the years since their finest hour.

The hero in the final—netting the winning penalty in the shootout—Copa finally made amends for several high-profile bloopers with the Elephants over the years.

He hung up his gloves in 2019, and is currently working as a goalkeeper coach with KAA Gent’s youth structure.

Once considered the finest right-back in the African game, Aurier signed permanently for Paris Saint-Germain in the aftermath of the Afcon triumph—having been on loan in the capital—and ended his time at the club with two Ligue 1 titles.

He spent four seasons at Tottenham Hotspur, never quite winning over the supporters with his rash performances and defensive limitations, but is getting things back on track with Villarreal.

One of the elder statesmen of the Afcon-winning team, Toure was on the books of Liverpool at the time of that success.

He wound down his playing career with Celtic, before going on to serve alongside his former manager Brendan Rodgers as a coach both with the Buoys and then, currently, with Leicester City.

Once considered Bailly’s equal, Kanon’s career didn’t quite kick on like his defensive partner.

At 28, he’s currently with Helsinki IFK, having spent time with ADO Den Haag, Pyramids FC and Al-Gharafa SC since the Afcon.

Still going strong at 37, the talisman of the Ivory Coast midfield represented the Elephants at the Nations Cup earlier this year and remains a key figure within the Elephants set-up.

Apart from a brief foray into German football with VfB Stuttgart, he’s been in the Swiss game since 2008, and has been with FC Sion since 2020.

One of Africa’s greatest players of all time, Toure won four consecutive African Footballer of the Year awards and titles aplenty at Manchester City and Barcelona.

After departing the Etihad Stadium, he represented Olympiacos and QD Huanghai, and has recently spent time in coaching roles and as a pundit on beinSports.

Another veteran who’s still going strong with the national side, Gradel netted at the recent Nations Cup—making headlines as he dedicated the goal to his late father.

He can currently be found in the Turkish Super Lig with Sivasspor, having represented Saint-Etienne, Bournemouth and Toulouse since his finest hour in Equatorial Guinea.

The Nations Cup was the final great act in an admirable career for the former left-back, who also won the Ligue 1 title—in unexpected circumstances—with Montpellier-Herault.

He was involved in a support capacity with the Ivorian team at the Nations Cup, and looks set to play a big role in the country’s organisation of the 2023 tournament.

Things at Manchester City didn’t quite work out after Bony became the then-most expensive African football in the game, and he struggled to recapture his previous magic at Stoke City or since returning to Swansea City.

Now back in Dutch football with NEC Nijmegen, Bony has only featured for 14 minutes so far this season as he looks to resurrect his career.

He hasn’t featured for the national side since the 2019 Nations Cup.

Currently back on the treatment table following a cruciate ligament injury, the 2015 Afcon triumph helped Gervinho get his career back on track as his confidence had ebbed away during a testing spell at Arsenal.

He’d earlier been a French champion at LOSC Lille, and hopefully the wideman still has some memorable years ahead of him with Trabzonspor.

One of the most lethal African goalscorers in the Champions League, Doumbia came off the bench in the 2015 final against Ghana and converted his spotkick in the shootout.

He’s been without a club since leaving Hamrun Spartans in the summer, and recently put his backing behind Didier Drogba in the Chelsea legend’s bid for the presidency of the Ivorian Federation.

Kalou was a Champions League winner with Chelsea—the highlight of a trophy-laden spell in West London—and went on to feature for LOSC Lille, Hertha Berlin and Botafogo since ending his six years at Stamford Bridge in 2012.

He’s not officially announced his retirement, despite being without a club for a year, and was recently spotted in Dakar supporting Sadio Mane’s Senegal in their World Cup playoff against Egypt.

Tallo’s frame ensured that he was once tipped as a potential successor to Drogba, but in truth, he’s never built on the promise he showed as a youngster with AS Roma.

The striker has only played once for the Ivory Coast since the final victory over Ghana—a friendly against Equatorial Guinea in March 2015—and can currently be found on loan at Samsunspor in the Turkish second tier.