PHILADELPHIA — Ivory Coast got goals from Nicolas Pépé in each half and advanced to the World Cup knockout round for the first time in the West African team’s history with a 2-0 victory over Curaçao on Thursday.
Les Éléphants have crashed the party and made it out of their group for the first time in four World Cup appearances.
Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 in its tournament opener — at the same Philadelphia stadium as Thursday’s game — and lost to Germany in its Group E second game.
Ivory Coast will play June 30 against either France or Norway — whichever is the runner-up in Group I.
Curaçao needed to win and instead failed to become the smallest nation to qualify for the knockout stages.