Ivory Coast Advances to Tournament Stage for First Time in History

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Ivory Coast has advanced to the tournament stage for the first time in four World Cup appearances, defeating Curacao behind a one-man show from Pepe. Curacao, a small nation with a population of 150,000, concluded its first-ever World Cup journey with one point.

Reporter Sim Useop has the story.

[Reporter]

Ivory Coast scored the opening goal just seven minutes into the first half.

Diomande capitalized on an opponent's mistake to create the opportunity that led to Pepe's first goal.

Pepe found the back of the net again in the 19th minute of the second half, receiving a brilliant through ball from Sangare and finishing with a left-footed shot.

With a record of two wins and one loss, Ivory Coast finished second in Group E, celebrating their first-ever advancement to the tournament stage in their fourth World Cup appearance.

Curacao launched a total of 11 shots in an aggressive effort, but they were repeatedly denied by the saves of Ivorian goalkeeper Fofana.

Under the guidance of head coach Dick Advocaat, the small nation of 150,000 people, which reached the World Cup finals for the first time, failed to advance to the Round of 32. However, they ended their first World Cup journey on a meaningful note by securing their first point with a draw against Ecuador.

[Dick Advocaat / Curacao Head Coach: We worked to qualify for the World Cup finals, and we finally did it. And did you see how the Curacao players performed here? In all three matches, our players did a truly excellent job against world-class teams.]

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Turkey, already eliminated from Group D with two losses, ended their campaign on a high note by defeating the host nation, the United States, 3-2 after a slugfest.

Determined to earn at least one point, Turkey played with grit and showed great concentration, scoring three goals from just three shots on target. Ayhan, who came on as a substitute late in the second half, scored a dramatic winning goal just before the final whistle to cap off the tournament beautifully.

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The Netherlands took an early lead against Tunisia, benefiting from an own goal just three minutes into the match, followed by an additional goal from Brobbey off a set piece four minutes later.

With an added goal from Van Hecke, the Netherlands won 3-1, securing first place in Group F and setting up a Round of 32 match against Morocco.

Video by Park Gi-deok

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