The West Africans will face the second-place finisher between France and Norway in Group I on Tuesday in Texas.
Printed On 25 Jun 2026
Nicolas Pepe’s double has sealed the Ivory Coast’s first-ever journey to the World Cup knockout part in a 2-0 victory over Curacao.
Pepe’s considerably unlikely brace within the Group E finale helped the Ivorians end second with six factors, whereas eliminating debutants Curacao from rivalry on Thursday afternoon. Les Elephants completed third of their group of their three earlier World Cup appearances from 2006 to 2014.
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The West Africans will face the second-place finisher between France and Norway in Group I on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Curacao grew to become the eighth group eradicated at this event, a destiny that arrived later than many anticipated after they grew to become the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup finals final November.
The Blue Wave had their probabilities on this match, maybe their final managed by 78-year-old Dutchman Dick Advocaat, who was taking cost of his third World Cup aspect.
Amad Diallo, the Ivory Coast’s first objective scorer of this event, departed at halftime, although it was unclear if damage performed a task.
After failing to attain in 5 World Cup qualifying appearances and never being included in supervisor Emerse Fae’s latest African Cup of Nations squad, Pepe was not an apparent candidate to play hero.
However he took each objectives exceptionally effectively for his first tallies in a aggressive worldwide fixture since October 11, 2024.
The primary got here within the seventh minute, by way of the most recent in a steady string of threatening strikes from 19-year-old Yan Diomande on this event.
This time, Diomande alertly pounced on a Curacao error, making an attempt to play out of the again, and noticed Pepe charging to the close to publish.
Diomande laid the ball again from the byline, and Pepe hammered a low, first-time end by way of goalkeeper Eloy Room from 6 yards out.
With loads of solar and temperatures hovering round 30 levels Celsius (mid-80s Fahrenheit), the sport seemed to be slowing earlier than Pepe completed off an incisive second for the Africans within the sixty fourth.
Ibrahim Sangare noticed Pepe’s run into the field with an ideal, line-splitting through-ball, and Pepe curled his end from 12 yards past Room and contained in the left publish.
Whereas it was a deserved Ivorian victory, Curacao had their moments. Within the forty fourth minute, Leandro Bacuna sliced by way of three defenders into the left half of the penalty space, however despatched his effort low and vast of the close to publish.
Ten minutes after the interval, Sherel Floranus discovered area past the 18-yard field, however fired narrowly over Yahia Fofana’s prime proper nook.
