Ivory Coast coach laments "lack of maturity" after World Cup exit

Ivory Coast's World Cup journey concluded in the last 32 after a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Norway, with coach Emerse Fae attributing the exit to a "lack of maturity" in his young squad. The Ivorian team fought hard throughout the match but ultimately succumbed to a late goal from Norway's Erling Haaland.

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It’s tough to lose in the final minutes, they gave everything, they fought from the first to the last minute.

The match was a tense affair, with Norway taking the lead just before halftime through a goal from Antonio Nusa. Ivory Coast found an equalizer in the second half via substitute Amad Diallo, only for Haaland to score the decisive goal in the dying minutes of normal time. This result means Norway advances to face Brazil in the next round.

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Maybe we lacked a bit of maturity, especially after the equaliser.

Fae expressed his disappointment, stating, "It's tough to lose in the final minutes, they gave everything, they fought from the first to the last minute." He specifically pointed to a potential lack of experience after their equalizer, suggesting the team should have focused on defending to force extra time. "Maybe we lacked a bit of maturity, especially after the equaliser," Fae admitted.

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When you’re not able to score, you need to know how to stay solid defensively and not give the slightest opportunity to players like that.

Despite the loss, Fae highlighted the team's growth throughout the competition, noting that this was the first World Cup for many of his players. He defended his tactical decisions, including bringing on Diallo as a substitute, stating that they knew he would make a significant impact. Fae emphasized the need for defensive solidity when unable to score, especially against a player of Haaland's caliber.

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I think we’ve grown a lot thanks to this competition, it’s the first World Cup for these players.