Ibrahim sangare

FIFA World Cup: Nicolas Pepe scored a dynamic double as Ivory Coast secured their place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stages for the first time with a comfortable victory over Curacao in their final Group E match here on Friday.

The African side were pushed hard, but in the end, their quality in the final third told as Pepe’s brace earned them a 2-0 victory at Philadelphia Stadium. They finished second in Group E and will face either Norway or France in the round of 32 in Dallas on Wednesday.

Pepe gave Cote d'Ivoire an early lead in the seventh minute, tapping in from close range after Yan Diomande won possession and squared the ball to him. He doubled the lead in the 64th minute, taking Ibrahim Sangare's driven pass in stride before curling a left-footed shot into the top corner.