Pépé in action with Ivory Coast during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Photo by Anneprudence)
Ecuador and Ivory Coast are through to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup football tournament from Group E.
Ecuador stun already qualified German 2-1 to finish third in the group behind Ivory Coast, who beat Curacao 2-0. The four point earned by the South American side was enough to advance as one of the best third placed teams in the competition.
Ecuador kept their campaign alive as Gonzalo Plata’s winner completed a memorable come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany.
Leroy Sane controversially fired Germany ahead less than two minutes into the Group E clash, but Ecuador hit back through a fine strike from Sunderland winger Nilson Angulo.
Plata then prodded home from close range 13 minutes from time, sparking wild celebrations among a largely Ecuadorian crowd in New Jersey as the South Americans ensured they will advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Julian Nagelsmann made two injury-enforced changes with Antonio Rudiger replacing Nico Schlotterbeck after the Borussia Dortmund defender was ruled out of the FIFA World Cup with ankle ligament damage.
David Raum came in for Nathaniel Brown at left-back, but Nagelsmann resisted the temptation to start Deniz Undav despite his heroics off the bench against Ivory Coast when he scored both goals in the 2-1 win.
Germany, with top spot in the group already assured, took the lead in a manner that enraged an Ecuador side fighting to stay in the tournament after picking up just one point in their first two games.
Sane swept in a first-time shot from Florian Wirtz’s lay-off in the area, but Ecuador were incensed that a foul was not given earlier in the move, when Aleksandar Pavlovic caught Pedro Vite in the head with a high boot.
The decision to let the goal stand sparked a furious reaction from Ecuador, who levelled seven minutes later as Angulo drilled low past Manuel Neuer from 20 yards after Felix Nmecha lost possession in his own half.
Kai Havertz tested Hernan Galindez with a header and then thought he had won a penalty less than 30 seconds after half-time when Joel Ordonez upended the Arsenal striker in the box.
VAR intervened on this occasion, to Ecuador’s evident relief, and the spot-kick was overturned after a foul by Sane on Vite in the build-up.
Nagelsmann turned to Undav on the hour, Germany’s super-sub with three goals so far at the tournament, but Ecuador knew they had to throw caution to the wind.
Enner Valencia’s fierce effort was beaten away by Neuer, before a defensive mix-up nearly opened the door for Ecuador.
Confusion between Neuer and Jonathan Tah almost let Kevin Rodriguez sneak in and Plata steered wide from the follow-up cross delivered by Moises Caicedo.
Sane had a glorious chance to put Germany back on top but shot tamely at Galindez, and Ecuador made the most of that escape as Plata rode to the rescue.
Rodriguez flicked on a corner and Plata stabbed home from right in front of Neuer to end Germany’s 11-match winning run and book Ecuador’s place in the knockout stage for only the second time, provoking tears of joy from their fans in the stands.
Germany will travel to Foxborough for their last-32 tie against another third-placed finisher on Monday, in their first FIFA World Cup knockout match since lifting the trophy in 2014.
Pepe finds the net twice for Ivory Coast
Nicolas Pepe scored twice as Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 to reach the knockout rounds for the first time ever and bring the tiny Caribbean country’s run at the tournament to an end.
Former Arsenal forward Pepe, now playing in Spain for Villarreal, opened the scoring for the Elephants after just seven minutes in Philadelphia and netted again just after the hour mark.
Ivory Coast finish with six points in Group E with this victory following their opening 1-0 win over Ecuador and a 2-1 loss to Germany.
They therefore go through in second place behind Germany on head-to-head – the Germans lost 2-1 to Ecuador in New Jersey at the same time.
The 2024 African champions had never previously got out of their group in three previous appearances at the FIFA World Cup, and their reward for this historic performance is a last-32 tie next Tuesday in Dallas.
That will be against the runners-up in Group I, which means a very tough test against either France – the country where Pepe and several other Ivorian players were born – or Norway.
Orange Ivory Coast shirts were visible all around the ground and their fans were soon celebrating as the opening goal arrived early.
Yan Diomande, one of the most exciting young talents at the tournament, was the provider as the RB Leipzig winger proved too sharp for his marker and cut the ball back for Pepe to net the opener in the seventh minute.
Ten of the Curacao starting line-up were born in the Netherlands and many of their players have previously worn the orange of the Dutch national team at different levels, right up to the senior side.
They are certainly no mugs, and they did have chances here, like when Jurien Gaari sent a shot just past the post from range, and Leandro Bacuna dribbled into the box only to shoot wide late in the first half.
Sherel Floranus flashed an effort narrowly over not long after the restart, but Curacao could not recover after falling further behind in the 64th minute.
Ibrahim Sangare of Nottingham Forest made the goal with an excellent through ball for Pepe, who controlled inside the area before slotting beyond Eloy Room and into the far corner.
