The win allows the Elephants to keep their qualification hopes alive in a still-tight Group E, where Germany and Ecuador have also shared points in their matches. Before this game, Ivory Coast had one win and one defeat, while Curaçao had one draw and one defeat to their name.

Ivory Coast, led by coach E. Faé, lined up in a 4-4-2 with goalkeeper Yassine Fofana protected by a defense made up of G. Doué, O. Kossounou, O. Diomande and C. Operi. The midfield was organized around Amad Diallo, Ibrahim Sangaré, Franck Kessié and Yan Diomande, with Nicolas Pépé and Ange-Yoan Bonny up front. Pépé proved decisive by opening the scoring early, confirming his form during the tournament.

Opposite them, Curaçao fielded a 5-3-2 formation under D. Advocaat. Goalkeeper Eloy Room was supported by a five-man defense featuring J. Brenet, J. Gaari, A. Obispo, S. Floranus and Deveron Fonville. The midfield included T. Chong, L. Bacuna and L. Comenencia, while the attack relied on J. Locadia and J. Bacuna. Despite having less possession (35%), Curaçao tried to respond but could not find a way through the Ivorian defense.

The match featured a few bookings, with two yellow cards shown to Nicolas Pépé (35th) and Juninho Bacuna (75th). Late in the game, changes were made on both sides, including the introduction of Franck Kessié for Ivory Coast and the arrivals of Jurien Gaari or Deveron Fonville for Curaçao, without the score changing further.

Ivory Coast strengthen their competitiveness in a difficult group

Ivory Coast’s victory in this match confirms the attacking ability of the team led by E. Faé. Nicolas Pépé, scorer of his first two goals in the competition, showed his efficiency from the start of the match, providing an advantage that shaped the rest of the contest. The Ivorian midfield led by Ibrahim Sangaré and Franck Kessié controlled the tempo, making use of the majority possession (65%) and cutting off opposing initiatives. Defensive solidity, notably through O. Kossounou and O. Diomande, also helped contain Curaçao’s rare attacking moves.

Curaçao under pressure despite a compact setup

Against the Elephants, Curaçao tried to hold firm with a five-man defensive structure, but low possession and a limited number of shots on target (2) restricted their chances. Coach D. Advocaat relied on a solid central defense and a compact system to resist, but attacking inefficiency combined with a defense put under severe pressure led to defeat, their first after an opening draw against Ecuador. The second-half substitutions did not allow them to reverse the trend.