Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe bags a brace as Ivory Coast beat Curacao to reach World Cup knockout stage for first time ever

Having been a peripheral figure just seven months ago when he was left out of the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, Pepe has returned from the international wilderness to become Ivory Coast's talisman.

He opened the scoring after just seven minutes in Philadelphia, capitalising on a defensive mix-up to slot home after being teed up by Yan Diomande. He then doubled the lead in the 65th minute with a vintage left-footed strike into the top corner. It was a performance that justified why Emerse Fae brought him back into the fold, especially after the winger rediscovered his scoring touch in Spain with Villarreal - firmly putting the difficult end to his Arsenal career behind him.

Despite boasting legendary figures like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure in the past, Ivory Coast had never managed to progress beyond the group stages in their three previous appearances in 2006, 2010, and 2014. This victory marks a monumental shift for the West African giants, who had often struggled when it mattered most. By finishing second in Group E with six points, they have finally achieved the feat that eluded their "Golden Generation".

"My message to fans would be to enjoy this historic qualification, celebrate it," Fae said after the game. "Once we are done celebrating, please continue sending us positive vibes so we can go as far as we can in this tournament. I am very happy with this result. Not everything was perfect but not conceding is good for our morale. Now our group has to bask in this victory. It is easy to recuperate after a victory."

While the headlines will focus on the individual brilliance of Pepe, Fae was quick to highlight the collective spirit of a squad that appears to be maturing at the perfect time. The manager noted that despite the high stakes and the pressure of the tournament, the camp remains upbeat and cohesive.

"This group is growing. They are all at their first World Cup but they are growing well - it is a team that sticks together. Even the players competing for similar positions are laughing together, always together. We have healthy competition which helps every player give their best," Fae added. The Ivorians benefitted from a more clinical edge, as Curacao managed just two shots on target despite showing plenty of spirit throughout the contest.

For Curacao, the tournament ends in elimination, but they leave as one of the most heartwarming stories of the 2026 expansion. As the smallest nation by population ever to qualify, they proved they belonged by taking a point off Ecuador earlier in the group. Against the Ivorians, they were far from pushovers, with Juninho Bacuna missing a golden opportunity to level the scores just before the half-time whistle. The Blue Wave stayed competitive until the very end, but ultimately couldn't find a way past Yassin Fofana in the Ivorian goal.

"This team has outdone itself against world-class sides," manager Advocaat said. "[Ivory Coast's] wingers are worth 50m each … The most important thing when we set out was qualifying for the Gold Cup. And only once we’d done that, qualifying for the World Cup." Asked whether Curaçao could qualify for the World Cup again, Advocaat remained optimistic. "When you see how we played the second and third game," he said, "that’s very promising."

With the tournament moving into the round of 32, the focus shifts to how far this rejuvenated Ivory Coast side can go. A monumental test awaits them, as they are set to face either Kylian Mbappe's France or Erling Haaland's Norway. However, with Pepe back in form and a defense that has proven difficult to break down, the Elephants may just be the dark horses of the knockout stage.