By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Côte d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Faé believes his side fully deserved their place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026 following Thursday night’s 2-0 victory over Curaçao, Prompt News Online reports.
The Elephants sealed qualification for the Round of 32 with a commanding display at Philadelphia Stadium, thanks to a brace from former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé.
Pépé opened the scoring in the sixth minute, turning home Yan Diomande’s low cut-back from close range to register Côte d’Ivoire’s fastest-ever World Cup goal.
The winger completed his brace after the break, calmly finishing with his left foot following a slick one-two with Nottingham Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré, which left him one-on-one with Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Faé expressed immense pride in his players after they secured a place in the knockout rounds.
“Pride is the first word that comes to mind. We knew we could do it, and we also knew it was going to be difficult. We did it. On top of that, we finished second,” Faé told FIFA.com.
“We’re happy and proud, but we’re already looking ahead to the next match. We’ll recover well and prepare for what’s to come. Côte d’Ivoire deserves this moment, and our supporters should celebrate tonight before continuing to back us as we aim to go as far as possible in the tournament.”
Côte d’Ivoire qualify as Group E runners-up and will face the runners-up from Group I in Dallas on 30 June.
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