Pépé brace secures historic World Cup knockout berth for Côte d'Ivoire against Curacao

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·25 giugno 2026

Pépé brace secures historic World Cup knockout berth for Côte d'Ivoire against Curacao

Côte d'Ivoire reached the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history with a 2-0 victory over Curacao at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Nicolas Pépé delivered both goals, opening the scoring in the seventh minute and sealing the result on 64 minutes to complete what even the celebrated Drogba-era sides could not achieve.

Curacao's maiden World Cup campaign ended in the group stage despite creating numerous clear opportunities throughout the match. Tahith Chong forced saves and saw efforts go wide, while Sherel Floranus struck the crossbar, but clinical finishing proved elusive for the Caribbean debutants. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Curacao v Côte d'Ivoire.

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Winners

Nicolas Pépé (Côte d'Ivoire)

The 31-year-old delivered a match-winning brace that wrote his name into Ivorian football history. His two goals secured the nation's first-ever passage to the World Cup knockout stages, completing a journey that had eluded previous generations of talented squads.

Pépé opened the scoring in the seventh minute, converting Yan Diomande's cutback from the left with a composed left-footed finish inside the area. His second arrived on 64 minutes when he latched onto Ibrahim Sangaré's through ball, drove into the box, and finished with his left foot to double the advantage.

Despite picking up a yellow card for a studs-up challenge in the 35th minute, Pépé maintained his composure and departed to a deserved ovation when substituted at 67 minutes. His ruthless finishing in decisive moments made him the standout performer in a fixture that determined knockout qualification.

Ibrahim Sangaré (Côte d'Ivoire)

The midfielder controlled the game's rhythm from the centre of the park, dictating tempo and providing the decisive assist for the second goal. His through ball on 64 minutes released Pépé perfectly, setting up the finish that sealed Côte d'Ivoire's historic qualification.

Sangaré's positioning and passing range made him central to every sustained spell of pressure throughout the match. He consistently linked defence to attack, circulating possession and finding forward passes that kept Curacao's defence under constant strain from deep positions.

His physical presence in midfield battles combined with technical quality to give Côte d'Ivoire complete command of the central areas. With the platform he established, the more attacking players could express themselves with confidence as the Elephants cruised to a comfortable victory.

Loser

Tahith Chong (Curacao)

Curacao's most threatening attacker had three big chances but failed to convert any of them, leaving his team without a route back into the match. His inability to find the net proved costly in a fixture where the Caribbean nation desperately needed a goal.

Chong forced a rebound save in just the second minute with a left-footed effort from outside the area. He fired wide at 39 minutes before drawing a double save from Yahia Fofana at 74 minutes when his shot required two attempts to hold. Each missed opportunity increased Curacao's frustration.

While his dribbling and willingness to run at defenders created problems for Côte d'Ivoire throughout, the lack of a clinical finish meant Curacao's attacking intent produced nothing on the scoreboard. His failure to capitalise on clear-cut openings encapsulated his nation's World Cup exit.