2026 World Cup/ Pepe’s brace sends Côte d’Ivoire into knockout rounds for first Time
Nicolas Pepe scored twice as Côte d’Ivoire reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history w….
Nicolas Pepe scored twice as Côte d’Ivoire reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history with a 2-0 victory over Curacao in Philadelphia .
The Elephants needed only a draw to advance from Group E, but they made their intentions clear from the start. Yan Diomande seized on a sloppy Curacao pass in the 7th minute and squared for Pepe to tap home . The early goal settled any nerves.
Curacao, the smallest nation ever to play at a men’s World Cup, refused to go quietly. Leandro Bacuna and Jurien Gaari both came close to equalising before halftime . But the defence of Côte d’Ivoire held firm.
Pepe struck again in the 64th minute. Ibrahim Sangare split the Curacao defence with a precise pass, and the former Arsenal forward curled a left-footed shot into the top corner . He left the pitch three minutes later to a standing ovation .
Côte d’Ivoire finish second in Group E with six points. They have won two matches at a World Cup for the first time. Manager Emerse Fae called for fans to celebrate the historic achievement.
Curacao depart with their heads high. They earned their first World Cup point against Ecuador and pushed Côte d’Ivoire hard . But the Elephants wrote their own history in Philadelphia.
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