Ivory Coast's Nicolas Pepe targets more World Cup history after reaching knockout stage

Nicolas Pepe was the star of the show in Philadelphia, scoring once in each half to guide the Elephants into the last 32 and continue their impressive tournament. The Villarreal winger's clinical finishing ensured Ivory Coast ended the group stage with six points, finishing second in Group E behind Germany on head-to-head record.

Speaking after the historic victory, Pepe said the achievement reflected the hard work of everyone involved with the national team.

"We are delighted and proud to be the first Ivory Coast side to reach the knockout rounds. Everyone has worked hard for this and we have got our reward," he said.

The experienced forward also made it clear that the Elephants have no intention of stopping now.

"We are setting no limits. We have huge potential. Now we are into the knockout rounds, so we will see what happens."

Ivory Coast began their campaign with an impressive 1-0 victory over Ecuador before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Germany. Their win over Curacao was enough to secure qualification and achieve something that previous generations of Ivorian footballers were unable to accomplish.

The milestone is particularly significant because the country's celebrated "Golden Generation", featuring stars such as Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, never progressed beyond the group stage during World Cup appearances between 2006 and 2014.

Head coach Emerse Fae praised his players for reaching a landmark moment in the nation's football history, while admitting there is still room for improvement.

"We are really pleased. We will celebrate this and enjoy it a bit before starting to prepare for what's to come," Fae said.

"Not everything was perfect, but we have qualified and the victory will be excellent for morale."

Ivory Coast will now travel to Dallas for their round of 32 clash next Tuesday, where they will face either France or Norway.