Andrew Olsson
March 31, 2026Early goal from Pépé gives Ivory Coast victory over Scotland
Photo: Ivorian Football Federation
Early goal from Pépé gives Ivory Coast victory over Scotland
A 12th minute goal from Nicolas Pépé gave Ivory Coast a 1-0 victory over Scotland in an international friendly played at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, England.
The Villarreal attacker was in the right place to apply the final touch after Elye Wahi’s initial shot attempt went off the post. It was a strong performance from the Elephants, who were noticeably the better team in a battle between participants at the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
A well-organized Ivorian defense severely restricted the Scottish attack. Featuring a physically imposing defensive line that included the likes of Ousmane Diomandé, Wilfried Singo and Odilon Kossounou, Scotland had a difficult time getting into position to score.
On the other end, young attacker Bazoumana Touré impressed alongside fellow promising talent Christ Inao Oulaï. For Pépé, who was excluded from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad of coach Emerse Faé, it was an important performance after being included this week only because of an injury to Yan Diomande.
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An excellent week for the Elephants of Ivory Coast
The result completes a successful week for Faé and his charges, who made a big statement a few days earlier with a dominant 4-0 victory over South Korea. The next scheduled friendly at the moment is a June 4 clash against France, ten days before their World Cup opener in Group E against Ecuador.
