Ivory Coast Eliminate Curaçao, Book First-Ever Knockout Spot

Ivory Coast Eliminate Curaçao, Book First-Ever Knockout Spot

By Our Reporter 

Nicolas Pepe scored twice as Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0 on Thursday to secure a historic place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country's history, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The former Arsenal winger, now with Spanish side Villarreal, struck in each half as the Elephants sealed second place in Group E with six points, ending Curaçao's fairytale World Cup campaign.

Pepe gave the 2024 African champions an early advantage after just seven minutes at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia before adding his second shortly after the hour mark to wrap up a comfortable victory.

Ivory Coast finished the group stage with six points, following an opening 1-0 victory over Ecuador and a narrow 2-1 defeat to group winners Germany.

Although Ecuador stunned Germany 2-1 in the group's other fixture, the Germans still claimed top spot on the head-to-head tiebreaker, leaving Ivory Coast to progress as runners-up.

The result marks a major milestone for the Elephants, who had failed to advance beyond the group stage in each of their previous three World Cup appearances.

Their reward is a Round of 32 clash in Dallas next Tuesday against the runners-up from Group I, with either France or Norway likely to stand in their way.

For Curaçao, simply qualifying for the World Cup was already a remarkable achievement. With a population of just over 160,000, the Caribbean nation became the smallest country ever to compete at the tournament.

Despite exiting the competition without a victory, Dick Advocaat's side earned widespread admiration for their resilience. After suffering a heavy 7-1 defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao bounced back with a courageous goalless draw against Ecuador before bowing out against the African champions.

A sell-out crowd of 68,324 watched Thursday's encounter in Philadelphia, underlining the growing popularity of the World Cup in the United States.

Thousands of Ivory Coast supporters, dressed in the team's iconic orange colours, created a vibrant atmosphere and were celebrating early as Pepe's seventh-minute strike put the Elephants firmly on course for a famous qualification.

Ivory Coast controlled much of the contest thereafter, with Pepe's second goal after the break ensuring the West Africans completed a memorable chapter in their football history by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time.