Curaçao 0–2 Ivory Coast: Pépé double sends Les Éléphants to knockouts
Nicolas Pépé scored twice as Ivory Coast beat Curaçao 2–0 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in their history. Pépé struck early in the 7th minute and sealed the points with a composed finish on 64 minutes, with Ivory Coast rarely troubled in between by a Curaçao side making their World Cup debut.
The opening goal came after a Curaçao defensive error: Yan Diomandé seized on the mistake, ran to the byline and cut the ball back for Pépé to sweep home from close range. Ivory Coast settled into a controlled, possession-based game, with Curaçao's best chances coming from Leandro Bacuna's 44th-minute run that finished wide and Sherel Floranus firing over the crossbar in the 55th minute. Goalkeeper Yahia Fofana was rarely seriously tested.
Pépé doubled the lead on 64 minutes when Ibrahim Sangaré threaded a precise through-ball into his path and Pépé curled a left-footed finish into the top-left corner past Eloy Room. Curaçao pushed late but could not find a way through. Ivory Coast advance as Group E runners-up; Curaçao — the smallest nation ever to compete at a Men's World Cup — were eliminated on their tournament debut.
Key moments
- •Nicolas Pépé opened the scoring on 7 minutes after Yan Diomandé exploited a Curaçao error and cut back for a close-range finish
- •Pépé sealed the result on 64 minutes with a composed left-footed curler from an Ibrahim Sangaré through-ball
- •Ivory Coast reached the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in their history
- •Goalkeeper Yahia Fofana kept a clean sheet — Ivory Coast's second of the tournament
- •Curaçao, the smallest nation to compete at a Men's World Cup, were eliminated having taken one point from their debut campaign
Timeline
Match facts
- Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- 68,324 attendance
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- Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Match report generated from publicly available sources. Facts are drawn from the sources below.