The team initially qualified for 1978, beating Mali 2–1 on aggregate, but were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the second leg. They qualified in 1974 but finished bottom of their group with only a single point, then failed to qualify in 1976, again losing to Congo-Brazzaville (now simply known as the Congo) in the first round. They failed to qualify for the 1972 edition, losing 4–3 to Congo-Brazzaville in the final qualifying round. In the 1970 African Cup of Nations, the team finished top of their group, but lost to Ghana - the powerhouses of African football at the time - in the semi-finals, and went on to finish 4th after losing the third-place play-off to the United Arab Republic (now Egypt). Ivory Coast's performances in the 1970s were mixed. After gaining independence from France, the team finished third in the 19 tournaments. In 1961 the team made their first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations. The team took a large 11–0 victory against the Central African Republic. The team played its first international match against Dahomey, now known as Benin, which they won 3–2 on 13 April 1960 in Madagascar. The team had their best run between 20 when they qualified for three consecutive FIFA World Cups and won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF). Their second success came in 2015, again defeating Ghana on penalties in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

Until 2005, their greatest accomplishment was winning the 1992 African Cup of Nations against Ghana on penalties at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar, Senegal.

Nicknamed the Elephants, the team is managed by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF). The Ivory Coast national football team ( French: Équipe de football de Côte d'Ivoire, recognized as the Côte d'Ivoire by FIFA ) represents Ivory Coast in men's international football. Ivory Coast 11–0 Central African Republic

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