Ivory Coast produced a dominant display to defeat Curaçao with ease, sealing an impressive victory in their decisive Group E encounter and strengthening their hopes of progressing at the FIFA World Cup.
The Elephants were in complete control throughout the contest, dictating the tempo and creating the better chances against a Curaçao side that struggled to cope with their attacking quality.
The star of the night was Nicolas Pépé, who delivered a brilliant performance by scoring twice to inspire the African giants to a convincing win.
His clinical finishing and attacking movement proved too much for Curaçao’s defence, as he led Ivory Coast to one of their most comfortable performances of the tournament.
Ivory Coast’s disciplined defending also played a key role, ensuring Curaçao had little opportunity to mount a comeback while maintaining control from start to finish.
The emphatic victory underlines the Elephants’ growing confidence as they continue their World Cup campaign, with Pépé’s outstanding brace providing another reminder of his importance to the team.
Meanwhile, in the other Group game, Ecuador stunned Germany 2-1 to finish third and awaits qualification to the knockout stage.
For Curaçao, the defeat brings their campaign to a disappointing end after they failed to match the quality and intensity of their opponents on the day.
