New Jersey, Jun 26 (V7N) – Ivory Coast moved within touching distance of a historic place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage as a brilliant brace from Nicolas Pépé gave the African side a commanding 2-0 lead over Curaçao in their final group-stage match.
Needing only a draw to secure qualification for the Round of 32, Ivory Coast instead produced an impressive performance and took firm control of the contest.
The Elephants made a bright start, dominating possession and putting constant pressure on Curaçao's defence. Their efforts paid off in just the seventh minute when Nicolas Pépé capitalised on a defensive mistake inside the penalty area, firing home with a quick finish to hand his side a 1-0 lead.
Ivory Coast carried the advantage into halftime and continued to dictate play after the break.
The decisive moment came in the 64th minute when Ibrahim Sangaré delivered a perfectly weighted pass from midfield. Pépé timed his run brilliantly, beat the Curaçao defence and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to complete his second goal of the match.
The two-goal cushion left Ivory Coast in complete control, with Curaçao struggling to create meaningful chances in response.
If the result stands, Ivory Coast will secure a place in the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the nation's history, marking a landmark achievement for the West African side.
END/SMA/AJ
