Curacao 0-2 Ivory Coast player ratings: Pepe brace steals the show from Diomande in historic Group E win

Ivory Coast sealed their historical first-ever spot successful the World Cup past 32 with a 2-0 triumph implicit Curacao astatine Lincoln Financial Field successful Philadelphia connected Thursday, with Nicolas Pepe's brace securing a nighttime that volition beryllium remembered for generations by Elephants supporters.

The Villarreal winger returned to the starting XI aft being dropped for the decision to Germany and delivered the show of the radical signifier from an Ivory Coast perspective, with Yan Diomande providing the originative instauration for some goals. Curacao, to their sizeable credit, were much than obliging participants and should permission this tourney with their estimation enhanced.

Ivory Coast subordinate ratings vs. Curacao — World Cup 2026

GOALKEEPER

Yahia Fofana — 6/10
Alert from the start, producing a astute prevention to contradict Tahith Chong's aboriginal long-range effort and handling his aerial duties with greater authorization than helium had managed successful the decision to Germany. A dependable and reliable night.

DEFENDERS

Guela Doue — 5/10
Stepping successful for the injured Wilfried Singo astatine right-back, the full-back offered an encouraging attacking publication successful the 2nd fractional but was straight progressive successful Curacao's champion accidental of the archetypal play aft an mistake successful his ain half.

Odilon Kossounou — 6/10
The Atalanta centre-back was a composed beingness throughout, dealing with Curacao's nonstop play efficaciously and contributing to the cleanable sheet.

Ousmane Diomande — 6/10
Starting successful spot of Emmanuel Agbadou, the Sporting Lisbon centre-back earned his spot with a coagulated display. He was competitory successful the duel and cleanable with his passing erstwhile Ivory Coast built from the back.

Christopher Operi — 6/10
Preferred to Ghislain Konan astatine left-back and justified the selection. Offered much successful the operation signifier than his predecessor had crossed the radical signifier and showed bully mobility to enactment the onslaught throughout.

MIDFIELDERS

Amad Diallo — 5.5/10
A lively method show that included good moments of operation play with Pepe, but the Manchester United winger could not find the decorativeness his evening demanded. One effort drifted narrowly wide aboriginal successful the match; different was deflected disconnected the look of Jurien Gaari and behind.

Ibrahim Sangare — 6/10
Provided the decisive guardant walk for Pepe's 2nd goal, picking retired his team-mate with an incisive done shot that chopped done Curacao's antiaircraft block. Did his antiaircraft duties without ailment and contributed to the operation that kept the Elephants organised.

Franck Kessie — 5/10
A consenting and generous skipper successful presumption of effort and involvement, but Kessie recovered his accustomed prime successful the last 3rd elusive. He came closest successful 2 abstracted moments wrong the country — some of which ended without reward, and 1 of which progressive an unfortunate collision with Bonny successful a promising position.

Yan Diomande — 7/10
The creator successful chief. Diomande was astatine the bosom of everything affirmative Ivory Coast produced, causing problems down the near flank and delivering the assistance for Pepe's opening goal. He besides provided a sumptuous shot for a second-half accidental that Kessie and Bonny failed to person betwixt them. His antiaircraft efforts were arsenic appreciated connected a nighttime erstwhile Curacao's transitions tested the backmost line.

FORWARDS

Nicolas Pepe — 8/10
The communicative of the evening belongs to him. Dropped to the seat for the Germany decision aft starting against Ecuador, and having been omitted from the AFCON 2025 squad — a snub that intelligibly wounded — Pepe channelled each of that vexation into a show of genuine quality. He was progressive successful everything that worked for Ivory Coast successful attack, combined beautifully with his team-mates and was objective erstwhile the infinitesimal demanded it — converting some of his meaningful opportunities to people the goals that delivered a infinitesimal Ivory Coast supporters volition ne'er forget.

Ange-Yoan Bonny — 5/10
Another hard evening for the young striker, who was much disposable successful his antiaircraft pressing and second-ball battles than successful the last third. The collision with Kessie that ended a wide scoring accidental summed up an evening erstwhile thing rather fell for him.

SUBSTITUTES

Christ Inao Oulai — 5/10
Entered astatine half-time erstwhile brag Emerse Fae switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3. Produced a comparatively neutral instauration without the decisive interaction helium has shown successful different competitions.

Bazoumana Toure — No rating

Elye Wahi — No rating
The Eintracht Frankfurt striker arrived precocious successful the lucifer and was denied by an awesome precocious halt from Eloy Room, but had insufficient clip to merit an idiosyncratic assessment.

Oumar Diakite — No rating

Jean Michael Seri — No rating

?? Côte d'Ivoire person qualified for the Round of 32!#FIFAWorldCup

Curacao subordinate ratings vs. Ivory Coast — World Cup 2026

GOALKEEPER

Eloy Room — 4.5/10
The Inter Miami shot-stopper was the undisputed leader of Curacao's goalless gully with Ecuador, producing a staggering 15 saves. He had small accidental with either extremity connected Thursday evening and had to hold until stoppage clip earlier being called upon to marque immoderate genuine intervention, denying Wahi precocious on.

DEFENDERS

Joshua Brenet — 4/10
An evening to hide for the close wing-back, whose escaped walk successful the archetypal fractional gave Ivory Coast possession successful the build-up to Pepe's opener. He was regularly caught successful down and could not retrieve the assurance to power the lucifer successful a affirmative direction.

Jurien Gaari — 4/10

Armando Obispo — 5/10

Sherel Floranus — 5/10

Deveron Fonville — 5/10

MIDFIELDERS

Tahith Chong — 6/10
The standout performer for Curacao and the embodiment of their willingness to vie without fear. He tested Fofana with a long-range onslaught successful the aboriginal stages and was a accordant originative menace connected the counter-attack, repeatedly taking the shot guardant with gait and directness.

Livano Comenencia — 5/10

Leandro Bacuna — 5/10

Juninho Bacuna — 4/10

FORWARD

Jurgen Locadia — 5/10

SUBSTITUTES

Jeremy Antonisse — No rating

Tyrese Noslin — No rating

Gervane Kastaneer — No rating

Brandley Kuwastats — No rating

Shurandy Sambo — No rating