Nicolas Pepe delivered when it mattered most, scoring twice to send Ivory Coast into the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in the country’s history and end Curacao’s fairytale campaign in the United States.
The former Arsenal winger inspired the Elephants to a commanding 2-0 victory in Philadelphia on Thursday, securing a place in the last 32 and writing a new chapter in Ivorian football history.
Pepe, who now plays for Spanish side Villarreal, struck as early as the seventh minute before completing his brace shortly after the hour mark to seal the crucial win for the 2024 African champions.
The result saw Ivory Coast finish second in Group E with six points, having opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Germany.
Despite ending level on points with Ecuador, the Ivorians progressed behind group winners Germany on head-to-head record after the Germans were beaten 2-1 by Ecuador in New Jersey in the other group fixture played simultaneously.
Having failed to advance beyond the group stage in each of their previous three World Cup appearances, the Elephants have now reached the knockout rounds for the first time ever.
Their reward is a last-32 showdown next Tuesday in Dallas against the runners-up from Group I, setting up a potential blockbuster clash with either France or Norway.
For Curacao, the defeat marked the end of a remarkable journey that had already captured global attention.
With a population of barely 160,000, the Caribbean nation arrived at the tournament as the smallest country ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup finals.
Although they leave the competition without recording a victory and finish bottom of Group E, Curacao earned widespread admiration for their resilience and determination on football’s biggest stage.
Their campaign began with a heavy 7-1 defeat to Germany, but they bounced back impressively in their second match, frustrating Ecuador in a hard-fought goalless draw.
Playing before a sell-out crowd of 68,324 fans at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Curacao once again showed flashes of quality but ultimately fell short against a more experienced Ivorian side.
The stadium was awash with orange as thousands of Ivory Coast supporters turned out in force, and they had little time to wait before celebrating the opening goal.
Highly-rated youngster, Yan Diomande, was the architect of the breakthrough, with the RB Leipzig winger using his pace and trickery to beat his marker before cutting the ball back for Pepe to finish from close range.
Curacao, whose squad features several players born in the Netherlands and with experience in Dutch national youth teams, refused to surrender quietly.
Jurien Gaari came close with a powerful effort that drifted narrowly wide, while Leandro Bacuna also threatened after driving into the penalty area late in the first half.
Shortly after the restart, Sherel Floranus sent an effort just over the crossbar as Curacao searched for an equaliser.
However, any hopes of a comeback disappeared in the 64th minute when Nottingham Forest midfielder, Ibrahim Sangare, split the defence with an excellent through ball for Pepe, who controlled superbly before calmly guiding his finish beyond goalkeeper, Eloy Room and into the far corner.
The victory not only secured Ivory Coast’s passage to the knockout rounds but also confirmed the growing stature of a team that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024 and is now dreaming of an even deeper run on the world stage.
