Nicolas Pépé scored twice as the Elephants defeated Curaçao 2-0 in Philadelphia to advance to the World Cup Round of 32 for the first time in their history
Ivory Coast secured a historic 2-0 victory over Curaçao at Philadelphia Stadium on Tuesday, advancing to the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in their history.
An early breakthrough arrived in the seventh minute when a structural mix-up in the Curaçao backline allowed Yan Diomandé to cross the ball directly into the path of Nicolas Pépé, who swept it home past goalkeeper Eloy Room. Pépé doubled the cushion in the 64th minute, calmly finishing after midfield anchor Ibrahim Sangaré sliced open the defense with an assist.
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Ivory Coast dominated possession with 62 percent and registered eight shots, three on target, while Curaçao managed 10 shots, three on target. Ivorian passing accuracy stood at 89 percent compared to Curaçao’s 86 percent.
The match marked the first-ever senior international football fixture between Curaçao and Ivory Coast. Prior to this tournament, the Ivory Coast had never successfully advanced past a World Cup group stage phase in their footballing history.
According to a report by Accra Street Journal, world debutants Curaçao finishes their first-ever World Cup journey with one point, highlighted by a clean sheet draw against Ecuador. Despite the defeat, goalkeeper Eloy Room’s 15-save performance against Ecuador will be remembered as one of the tournament’s standout individual displays.
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Before Kickoff
Venue and Kickoff Time
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- Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Kickoff: 20:00 GMT
⚽ Pre-Match Analysis
📋 Predicted Lineups
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- Curacao Starting XI: Room; Gaari, Martina, Reis, J. Bacuna; L. Bacuna, Anita; Margaritha, Kuwas, Janga; Gorré.
- Ivory Coast Starting XI: Fofana; Aurier, Ndicka, Diomande, Konan; Kessié, Sangaré, S. Fofana; Adingra, Haller, Boga.
📊 Match Facts and Head-to-Head (H2H)
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- H2H Record: This fixture marks the first competitive senior international meeting between Curaçao and Ivory Coast.
- Key Fact: Curaçao accumulated 5 yellow cards in their previous fixture, putting multiple defenders under disciplinary pressure.
Last Updated on June 26, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu
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Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
