Nicolas Pépé Makes History as Ivory Coast Beat Curaçao

Nicolas Pépé, once the most expensive player in African football after his 80 million euro move from Lille to Arsenal seven years ago, produced one of the biggest moments of his career on Thursday night. He scored twice in Ivory Coast’s 2-0 win over Curaçao, a result that secured his team second place in Group 5.

The 31-year-old’s double was his first for Ivory Coast since 2018, and it was the first time he had ever scored a brace in a competitive international match. It also made him the first Ivory Coast player to score twice in a World Cup match since Aruna Dindane in 2006.

For the Villarreal forward, the performance marked a form of redemption after he was left out of Emerse Faé’s squad shortly before December’s Africa Cup of Nations. Faé said at the time that the omission was due to “events related to and off the pitch,” but the two later resolved their differences ahead of the World Cup.

Local media described Pépé as a player who has endured difficult moments in his career but is now flourishing again with Villarreal and the national team. They called him the team’s surprise weapon and a versatile attacking asset who can play as a winger, a false nine, or a traditional center forward.