Bazoumana Toure the toast of the Ivory Coast.
An AFCON qualifier that they absolutely dominated against Somalia but couldn’t put the ball in the net.
The final stats showing in the Ivory Coast’s favour: 50 v 4 touches of the ball in the opposition penalty area, 78% possession, 23 v 1 on shots, 9 v 0 corners.
Yet as the clock was about to click onto 89 minutes still goalless.
Bazoumana Toure had came on as a 65th minute sub in this AFCON qualifier.
Then when all looked lost, the 89th minute saw the Newcastle winger open up Somalia with a clever run and skill on the right, Gboho scoring when Toure’s cross could only be blocked.
With five minutes of added time played it was time once again for Bazoumana Toure to do the business.
The Newcastle United winger grabbing a goal of his own when a shot came back off the post and he smashed the rebound into the roof of the net.
Ivory Coast eventually winning 2-0 against Somalia which didn’t even come close to reflecting their superiority, yet somehow it could and would have ended goalless without Toure’s interventions very late on.
Elsewhere, it ended Czech Republic 0 England 2 in Prague.
Lewis Hall outstanding in this victory against a Czech side that were a man down after 25 minutes when Sulc was sent off for a nasty studs up challenge on Elliot Anderson.
Barcelona’s Anthony Gordon just pipped the United star to the man of the match award as they combined superbly down the left side. Less said about most of their teammates the better!
Gordon opening the scoring with a very clever header, Kane then taking advantage of a free shot from ten yards out as the ball fell kindly. Newcastle’s Lukas Hornicek watching this Nations League clash from the bench.
This is the September and October 2026 international schedule for Newcastle United players:
Thursday 24 September
Ivory Coast 2 Ghana 0
Bazoumana Toure coming off the bench in the 86th minute with the score already 2-0 in this AFCON group qualifier.
DR Congo 2 Equatorial Guinea 0
Yoane Wissa scoring in the 72nd minute to ensure the win in this AFCON group qualifier.
Friday 25 September
Italy 0 Belgium 2
Matias Fernandez-Pardo coming off the bench on 83 minutes in this Nations League match to help see out the win.
England U21s 4 Kazakhstan U21s 2
Lewis Miley and unused sub as the young England side win this European Championship Qualifier.
Iceland U21s 1 France U21s 1
Aladji Bamba an unused sub but Ewen Jaouen played the full game as France took an early lead but conceded in the second half, so a draw in this European Championship Qualifier.
Netherlands U21s 0 Norway U21s 0
Sean Steur making his first ever Under 21s appearance as an 83rd minute sub in this goalless European Championship Qualifier.
Saturday 26 September
England 2 Spain 3
Lewis Hall an unused sub as England lose this Nations League five goal thriller.
Czech Republic 1 Croatia 2
Defeat for Lukas Hornicek and his international teammates in this Nations League clash. The Newcastle United keeper conceding in the 47th and 77th minutes, either side of a 54th minute equaliser for the Czech Republic.
Monday 28 September
Zimbabwe 1 DR Congo 2
Yoane Wissa scored the first and got an assist for the second as DR Congo were 2-0 at half-time in this AFCON qualifier. Zimbabwe scoring a consolation in added time.
Belgium 0 France 1
Matias Fernandez-Pardo an 85th minute sub in this Nations League match, which saw Michael Olise score a superb 88th minute solo effort to win the game.
Tuesday 29 September
Estonia U21s 0 France U21s 2
Aladji Bamba and Ewen Jaouen both played the full match in this Under 21s European Championship group qualifier win.
Somalia 0 Ivory Coast 2
Bazoumana Toure coming on as a 65th minute sub in this AFCON qualifier. Ivory Coast battered Somalia but it wasn’t until the 89th minute when the Newcastle winger opened them up and Gboho scored when Toure’s cross could only be blocked. The United star then grabbing a goal of his own when a shot came back off the post and he smashed the rebound into the roof of the net.
Czech Republic 0 England 2
Lewis Hall outstanding in this victory against a Czech side that were a man down after 25 minutes. Anthony Gordon just pipped this United star to the man of the match award as they combined superbly down the left side. Less said about most of their teammates the better! Gordon opening the scoring with a very clever header, Kane then taking advantage of a free shot from ten yards out as the ball fell kindly. Newcastle’s Lukas Hornicek watching this Nations League clash from the bench.
Thursday 1 October
Germany v Serbia (Malick Thiaw (and Nick Woltemade)) Nations League
Friday 2 October
DR Congo v Uganda (Yoane Wissa) Friendly
Belgium v Turkey (Matias Fernandez-Pardo) Nations League
England U21s v Slovakia U21s (Lewis Miley) European Championship Qualifier
Slovenia U21s v Netherlands U21s (Sean Steur) European Championship Qualifier
Saturday 3 October
Ivory Coast v Cameroon (Bazoumana Toure) Friendly
Croatia v England (Lewis Hall) Nations League
Spain v Czech Republic (Lukas Hornicek) Nations League
France U21s v Luxembourg U21s (Aladji Bamba, Ewen Jaouen) European Championship Qualifier
Sunday 4 October
Greece v Germany (Malick Thiaw (and Nick Woltemade)) Nations League
Monday 5 October
Uganda v DR Congo (Yoane Wissa) Friendly
France v Belgium (Matias Fernandez-Pardo) Nations League
Tuesday 6 October
England v Czech Republic (Lewis Hall, Lukas Hornicek) Nations League
Republic of Ireland U21s v England U21s (Lewis Miley) European Championship Qualifier
France U21s v Switzerland U21s (Aladji Bamba, Ewen Jaouen) European Championship Qualifier
Netherlands U21s v Bosnia and Herzegovina U21s (Sean Steur) European Championship Qualifier