Ivory Coast reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time on Thursday, beating Curaçao 2-0 in Philadelphia. Nicolas Pépé scored in each half. The Elephants finished second in Group E with six points.
Ivory Coast reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time on Thursday, beating Curaçao 2-0 in Philadelphia. Nicolas Pépé scored in each half. The Elephants finished second in Group E with six points.
Nicolas Pépé struck early. In the seventh minute, 19-year-old Yan Diomande pounced on a Curaçao error at the back, drove to the byline and cut the ball back for the Villarreal forward to finish from close range past goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Ivory Coast doubled the lead on 64 minutes. Ibrahim Sangaré split the defence with a through ball and Pépé curled a left-footed finish from around 10 metres inside the post. Curaçao pressed for a way back but could not break through, with Tahith Chong clearing the bar and captain Leandro Bacuna firing wide.
The win ended a 20-year wait for manager Emerse Fae, who was an unused substitute in Ivory Coast's first World Cup squad. He dedicated the achievement to supporters back home.
"My message would be enjoy this historic qualification, celebrate it," Fae said through an interpreter. "And once we are done celebrating, please continue sending us positive vibes and praying for us and encouraging us so we can go as far as possible in this tournament."
Fae also welcomed Pépé back after a period out of the squad. "I think this episode with Nico is behind us," he said. "We were always clear with him. We told him why we were not picking him at the time."
Pépé, who had not scored in five previous World Cup qualifying appearances, struck twice in his first competitive international goals since October 2024. "We are delighted and proud to be the first Ivory Coast team to reach the knockout rounds," he said. "We are setting no limits. We have huge potential. Now we are into the knockout rounds, so we will see what happens."
Curaçao's veteran coach Dick Advocaat, 78, accepted the gap in quality. "We had the opportunities," he said through an interpreter. "But they have two forwards that are worth 150 million (euros). That says something about the difference in quality." Advocaat suggested the tournament could mark the end of his tenure.
The result clears a hurdle Ivory Coast's celebrated generation never managed. Sides featuring Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré qualified for three straight World Cups, in 2006, 2010 and 2014, but went out in the group stage each time.
For Curaçao, the defeat ended their first World Cup campaign. The Caribbean island of just over 155,000 residents, the smallest nation ever to reach the finals, had earlier drawn with Ecuador but became the eighth team eliminated.
Ivory Coast travel to Dallas for a Round of 32 tie on 30 June against the Group I runners-up, either France or Norway.
