Nicolas Pepe scored twice as Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 on Thursday to succeed in the World Cup knockout rounds for the primary time ever and convey the tiny Caribbean nation’s run on the event to an finish.
Former Arsenal ahead Pepe, now enjoying in Spain for Villarreal, opened the scoring for the Elephants after simply seven minutes in Philadelphia and netted once more simply after the hour mark.
Ivory Coast completed with six factors in Group E with this victory following their opening 1-0 win over Ecuador and a 2-1 loss to Germany.
They due to this fact undergo in second place behind Germany on head-to-head — the Germans misplaced 2-1 to Ecuador in New Jersey on the similar time.
The 2024 African champions had by no means beforehand bought out of their group in three earlier appearances on the World Cup, and their reward for this historic efficiency is a last-32 tie subsequent Tuesday in Dallas.
That will probably be towards the runners-up in Group I, which suggests a really powerful take a look at towards both France — the nation the place Pepe and a number of other different Ivorian gamers had been born — or Norway.
Curacao, with its inhabitants of barely 160,000, had already made historical past simply by being on the World Cup, however the smallest nation ever to succeed in the finals went house after ending backside of the part with no win.
Dick Advocaat’s staff had been thrashed 7-1 by Germany on their event debut, however the excessive level got here of their subsequent recreation as they withstood a barrage to carry Ecuador to a 0-0 draw.
They could not repeat that efficiency right here, however nonetheless did their followers proud in a recreation watched by a sell-out crowd of 68,324 at Lincoln Monetary Discipline — such an attendance on a Thursday afternoon is proof that the World Cup has undoubtedly made its mark on the USA.
Orange Ivory Coast shirts had been seen throughout the bottom and their followers had been quickly celebrating because the opening purpose arrived early.
Yan Diomande, one of the thrilling younger skills on the event, was the supplier because the RB Leipzig winger proved too sharp for his marker and reduce the ball again for Pepe to show it in.
Ten of the Curacao beginning line-up had been born within the Netherlands and plenty of of their gamers have beforehand worn the orange of the Dutch nationwide staff at completely different ranges, proper as much as the senior aspect.
They’re actually no mugs, and so they did have possibilities right here, like when Jurien Gaari despatched a shot simply previous the submit from vary, and Leandro Bacuna dribbled into the field solely to shoot large late within the first half.
Sherel Floranus flashed an effort narrowly over not lengthy after the restart, however Curacao couldn’t recuperate after falling additional behind within the sixty fourth minute.
Ibrahim Sangare of Nottingham Forest made the purpose with a superb by means of ball for Pepe, who managed inside the world earlier than slotting past Eloy Room and into the far nook.
