CURACAO ERROR
The first came through the latest in a continuous string of threatening moves from 19-year-old Yan Diomande, who alertly pounced on a Curacao error trying to play out of the back and spotted Pepe charging to the near post.
Diomande laid the ball back from the byline, and Pepe hammered a low first-time finish through goalkeeper Eloy Room from close range.
With plenty of sun and temperatures hovering in the mid 80s Fahrenheit (about 29°C to 30°C), the game appeared to be slowing before Pepe finished off an incisive second for the Africans.
Ibrahim Sangare spotted Pepe’s run into the box with a perfect, line-splitting through ball, and Pepe curled his finish from 10 metres inside the left post.
Although it was a deserved Ivorian victory, Curacao had their moments in possibly their last match managed by 78-year-old Dutchman Dick Advocaat, who was taking charge of his third World Cup side.
In the 44th minute, Leandro Bacuna sliced through three defenders into the left half of the penalty area but sent his effort low and wide of the near post, and after the interval Sherel Floranus found space but fired narrowly over the bar.
Amad Diallo, Ivory Coast’s first goalscorer in the tournament, departed at half-time, though it was unclear if this was due to injury.