With this win, Ivory Coast finished the group stage with two wins and one loss, totaling six points and a goal difference of +2. They tied with Germany on points, but due to the head-to-head rule, Ivory Coast advanced as the second-place team in the group.
Nicolas Pépé was instrumental in the victory, scoring both goals for Ivory Coast. In the 7th minute, he capitalized on a defensive error by Curacao, receiving a pass from Yan Diomande near the goal line and easily finishing to open the scoring.
The momentum continued in the second half, where Pépé scored again in the 64th minute. After receiving a precise through ball from Ibrahim Sangaré, he faced Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room one-on-one and found the top left corner of the net to complete his brace.
Curacao, making their World Cup debut, had previously achieved a surprising 0-0 draw against Ecuador, thanks to Room's impressive performance, where he saved 28 shots, including 15 on target. However, they finished the tournament in fourth place.
Notably, of the 26 players called up for the Curacao national team, 25 were born abroad, with only one player hailing from the country itself.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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