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Ivory Coast advance as Pepe scores twice to send tiny Curacao home

From CNA · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Nicolas Pepe scored twice to lead Ivory Coast to a 2-0 victory over Curacao, securing their first-ever World Cup knockout stage berth.
  • The win placed Ivory Coast second in Group E, behind Germany, while Curacao was eliminated.
  • Pepe's goals in the seventh and 64th minutes were decisive in the match.

Striker Nicolas Pepe was the hero for Ivory Coast, scoring both goals in their 2-0 victory over Curacao on Thursday, which propelled the African nation into the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history. The win secured second place in Group E for Ivory Coast, behind group winners Germany.

Pepe found the net in the seventh minute to give Ivory Coast an early lead, and then sealed the victory with his second goal in the 64th minute. This performance ensured Ivory Coast finished the group stage with six points, qualifying for the next round in their fourth World Cup appearance.

For Curacao, the smallest nation ever to participate in a World Cup, the loss meant elimination and a last-place finish in Group E. Despite their efforts, they were unable to find the back of the net against a disciplined Ivory Coast defense.

Ivory Coast will now advance to the last 32, where they are scheduled to play the runners-up of Group I in Dallas on Tuesday. The match against Curacao was played in Philadelphia.

We are happy to have reached the knockout stage. This is a historic moment for our country.

— Nicolas PepeThe Ivory Coast striker expressed his joy after scoring the decisive goals.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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