Nicolas Pepe fires Ivory Coast into World Cup knockout stage
Nicolas Pepe scored a brace to guide Ivory Coast past Curacao, securing the nation's first-ever appearance in the World Cup knockout rounds.
Ivory Coast have secured a historic place in the World Cup knockout stages following a commanding 2-0 victory over Curacao in New Jersey. Nicolas Pepe emerged as the decisive figure, netting a brace to ensure his side finished second in Group E.
Pepe opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match—the fastest goal in Ivorian World Cup history—after latching onto Yan Diomande’s setup. He later doubled the lead with a spectacular strike into the top corner in the second half.
This is one of the best nights of my career. My brace was down to the team as well. For the first goal, I just had to tap the ball in after some brilliant work from Yan; for the second, Ibra played a superb ball. Nicolas Pepe
Manager Emerse Fae praised the forward's contribution, noting that Pepe’s top-class ability and experience are vital for the team’s success in such high-stakes competitions. Midfielder Christ Inao Oulai added that the squad is proud to be writing a new chapter in the nation's football history.
The Ivorians must now prepare for a challenging round of 32 clash in Atlanta this Tuesday. They will face either France or Norway, entering the knockout game as underdogs who are determined to maintain their collective discipline and confidence.