Nicolas Pepe rolled back the years with a magnificent individual performance to fire Ivory Coast into the World Cup knockout stage. The experienced attacker netted a historic brace against Curacao to ensure the Elephants progressed beyond the tournament's group stage for the first time in their footballing history.
Nicolas Pepe proved to be the hero as Ivory Coast finally ended their World Cup group stage hoodoo with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Curacao. The former Arsenal winger rose to the occasion in Philadelphia to secure his nation's place in the last 32. It marks a historic milestone for the Elephants, who had never previously progressed beyond the opening round of the tournament.
Wilfried Zaha is returning to the Ivory Coast fold after a prolonged spell away, with the 33-year-old earning a surprise recall for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. The Charlotte FC winger had been absent from the national team squad for two years, having initially slipped out of contention following disagreements with former coach Patrice Beaumelle. As a consequence, Zaha missed Les Éléphants' triumphant campaign on home soil in 2023.
.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)