Nicolas Pepe’s brace closes the curtain on Curacao and opens a new chapter for Ivory Coast

Nicolas Pepe stepped up when Ivory Coast needed him most, scoring twice in a 2-0 aggregate victory over Curacao on Thursday to send Les Elephants into the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history.

After three previous group stage exits between 2006 and 2014, Ivory Coast finally broke through, finishing second in Group E with six points behind Germany. Their reward is a Round of 32 matchup in Arlington, Texas, against the second seed from Group I.

The Group E final started with Curacao wanting to play from behind, but their ambitions were almost immediately punished. Just seven minutes in, 19-year-old Yan Diomande took advantage of a defensive error before running towards the touchline and cutting the ball back to Pepe, who fired a first-time shot past goalkeeper Eloy Room from close range.

Curacao vs Ivory Coast, FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlights

The first goal leveled Ivory Coast but Curacao refused to wilt. Dick Advocaat’s side, still reeling from their 7-1 defeat to Germany earlier in the tournament, continued to play with grit and create their own chances.

Leandro Bacuna went closest before half-time, weaving through several defenders before curling his effort just wide of Yahio Fofana’s near post. Shortly after the restart, Sherel Floranus tested the Ivory Coast defense again when he fired just over the bar from the edge of the box.

PEPE DELIVERS

Ivory Coast suffered concerns when Amad Diallo, scorer of their opening goal of the tournamentfailed to return in the second half. Still, Emers’ Fae side never lost control of the competition.

The decisive moment came in the 64th minute when Ibrahim Sangare weaved a perfectly balanced pass through the Curacao defence. Pepe timed his run to perfection before finishing a clinical finish behind Roomo and at the far post to complete his surge and seal a historic victory. FIFA World Cup 2026: Nicolas Pepe scores for Ivory Coast against Curacao. (Image: Reuters)

The double marked a timely return to form for the winger. Pepe failed to score during World Cup qualifying and was left out of Ivory Coast’s recent Africa Cup of Nations squad, making him an unlikely hero going into the tournament. His two goals against Curacao also made him only the fifth Ivorian to score more than once at the men’s World Cup, joining Didier Drogba, Gervinho, Aruna Dindane and Wilfried Bony.

HISTORY MADE

While Pepe’s goals will dominate the headlines, Curacao leaves the World Cup with a lot to be proud of. The smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament recovered admirably from a heavy opening defeat to Germany to grab a valuable point against Ecuador and stay in contention until the final game.

The Caribbean side, made up mostly of players from Europe’s second leagues and minor leagues, exceeded expectations during their first World Cup campaign. They matched Ivory Coast for long spells and never stopped looking for a way back into the contest, even if the final touch eluded them in the end. Curacao has every reason to be proud of its efforts. (Image: Reuters)

For Ivory Coast, the win erased years of World Cup disappointment. After three failed attempts to escape from the group stage, Les Elephants finally have their place in the knockout rounds. With Pepe rediscovering his scoring touch at just the right time, Emers Fae’s side headed into the last 32 believing their World Cup journey might just be getting started.

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

Jun 26, 2026 03:55 IST