Ivory Coast secured their place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Curacao 2-0 in their final Group E match, with Nicolas Pepe scoring both goals to send the Elephants through as group runners-up behind Germany.
The victory made Ivory Coast the third African nation, after Morocco and South Africa, to qualify for the knockout stages and continued an impressive campaign under head coach Emerse Fae.
Pepe’s clinical display proved the difference as the Elephants finished the group stage in style.
The former Arsenal winger wasted little time making his mark, opening the scoring in the seventh minute after excellent work from the lively Yan Diomande.
Pepe doubled Ivory Coast’s advantage in the 64th minute with a composed curling finish that effectively sealed qualification.
His performance not only secured the result but also wrote another chapter in Ivory Coast’s World Cup history.
Ivory Coast became only the second African nation to score the opening goal in all three of their group-stage matches at a FIFA World Cup, matching Nigeria’s achievement from the 1994 tournament.
Pepe also joined an exclusive list of Ivorian greats.
His brace made him just the second Ivory Coast player to score two or more goals in a World Cup match, following Aruna Dindane’s double against Serbia in 2006.
At 31 years and 27 days old, Pepe is now the second-oldest African player to score a World Cup brace, behind Cameroon’s legendary Roger Milla.
Pepe Targets More Success
After the match, Pepe credited his teammates for both goals and insisted Ivory Coast are not satisfied with simply reaching the knockout stages.
“My two goals? It’s all thanks to the team. On the first one, Yan did a great job setting me up with the ball.”
“We’re going to try to go as far as possible; we have the players and the quality to do it. We’ll need to stay focused, rest up and see who we’ll be playing against.”
Fae Eyes Deep World Cup Run
Head coach Emerse Fae praised his players but made it clear that Ivory Coast’s ambitions extend beyond qualification.
“Pride is the first word that comes to mind. We knew we could do it, and we also knew it was going to be difficult. We did it.”
“We’re happy and proud, but we’re looking even further ahead.”
The coach also called on supporters to continue backing the team as they prepare for the knockout rounds.
“Ivory Coast deserves this, can enjoy it and can celebrate tonight. They can keep cheering us on so we can go as far as possible.”
The Elephants could now face either Norway, led by Erling Haaland, or two-time world champions France in the Round of 32.
Meanwhile, Curacao’s debut World Cup campaign came to an end despite showing resilience after recovering from a heavy defeat to Germany to earn a draw against Ecuador.
Conclusion
Nicolas Pepe delivered when Ivory Coast needed him most, producing a match-winning performance to send the Elephants into the knockout stages.
With confidence growing and history continuing to be made, Emerse Fae’s side will believe they have what it takes to challenge some of the tournament’s biggest nations as the World Cup enters its decisive phase.
