Nicolas Pépé scored twice on Thursday to fire Cote d'Ivoire to the second phase of a World Cup tournament for the first time with a 2-0 win over Curaçao.
Issued on: 26/06/2026 - 02:36
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The 31-year-old slotted in the opening goal after seven minutes of the game at the Philadelphia Stadium. He added the second mid way through the second half to effectively end Curaçao's hopes of advancing to the knockout stages on their first appearance at the World Cup. "We are delighted and proud to be the first Ivorian team to reach the knockout rounds," said Pépé who plays his club football at Villareal in Spain. 'Everyone has worked hard' "Everyone has worked hard for this and we have got our reward. We are setting no limits. We have huge potential. Now we are into the knockout rounds so we will see what happens." Qualification for the second phase will add lustrre to the reputation of head coach Emerse Faé. The 42-year-old former Ivorian international took over in January 2024 with the squad on the verge of elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations which was being held in Cote d'Ivoire. England have all the pressure, says Ghana boss Queiroz ahead of World Cup clash But they qualified for the last-16 as one of the best third palced teams and surged to Africa's most coveted national team tournament. Place in World Cup knockout stages Just over two years later, an Ivorian squad faces sudden death matches at the most prestigious internatiolnal tournament of them all. "We are really pleased," said Faé. "We will celebrate this achievement and enjoy it a bit before starting to prepare for what's to come. "Not everything was perfect but we have qualified and the victory will be good for morale." Mbappé's double on 100th appearance fires France into World Cup knockout stages Victory over the Ivorians, coupled with defeat for Ecuador against Germany, would have given Curaçao four points and a good chance of reaching the knockout stages. But they will depart from the 2026 tournament following their second defeat. Cote d'Ivoire advance to date in Dallas In the last 32, Cote d'Ivoire will play the runners-up in Group I - either 2022 finalists France or Norway. Germany claimed Group E despite losing 2-1 to Ecuador who finished third with four points and a chance to move on among the eight best third-placed teams.
