Former Arsenal forward Nicolas Pépé scored twice to lead Ivory Coast to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Curaçao at the Philadelphia Stadium on Thursday. The decisive victory secured the Elephants a second-place finish in Group E and sent them into the Men's FIFA World Cup knockout stages for the first time in history.
Ivory Coast capitalised on early momentum to break the deadlock within the opening seven minutes. Smaert build-up play saw Liverpool target Yan Diomandé pounce on a poor clearance from the Curaçao defence before delivering a precise square pass to Pépé, who slotted a clinical finish past goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Curaçao, the smallest nation to ever feature at a Men's World Cup, fought valiantly to generate an attacking spark through Tahith Chong and Leandro Bacuna. However, the debutants struggled to break through a disciplined Ivorian backline and ultimately finished their fairytale campaign at the bottom of the group.
Pépé effectively put the game out of reach in the 64th minute following a brilliant sequence from Ibrahim Sangaré. Sangaré picked out the winger inside the penalty box, allowing Pépé to open his body and curl a powerful left-footed strike into the far corner to complete his brace.
The historic progression sparked widespread celebrations, prompting high-profile reactions across the West African nation. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara praised the team's relentless effort on social media.
Ivory Coast manager Emerse Fae echoed that pride while highlighting the squad's long-term aspirations. According to a Reuters report, Fae urged fans to relish the milestone, saying, "My message would be enjoy this historic qualification, celebrate it. And once we are done celebrating, please continue sending us positive vibes".
With six points secured from their three group stage matches, Les Elephants now turn their attention toward the Round of 32. Ivory Coast will travel to Dallas on Tuesday, June 30, to face the runner-up of Group I, which will be decided between France and Norway.