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Nicolas Pépé has set his sights on adding to his goal tally after inspiring Côte d’Ivoire’s historic qualification for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, reports Completesports.com.
The Villarreal winger scored both goals as the Elephants defeated Curaçao 2-0 at Philadelphia Stadium on Thursday night.
Pepe made history as only the second Ivorian player to score twice in a FIFA World Cup match, emulating Aruna Dindane, who netted a brace in the 3-2 win over Serbia and Montenegro in 2006.
Read Also:World Cup 2026: Pepe Brace Vs Curacao Sends Côte d’Ivoire Into knockout Rounds For The First Time
The former Arsenal star also scored Côte d’Ivoire’s fastest-ever goal at the World Cup finding the net just seven minutes into the game.
Pepe Reflects On Performance Against Curaçao
“I know I’ve got what it takes. This is the reward for all my hard work, and I hope it will continue in the upcoming matches too,” Pepe told FIFA.com.
“My brace was down to the team as well.
“For the first goal, I just had to tap the ball in after some brilliant work from Yan [Diomande]; for the second, Ibra [Sangare] played a superb ball, and all I had to do was stay focused and score. I’d like to dedicate this trophy to the lads.”
