World Cup: Silent Haaland sends Cote d’Ivoire home

by · The Eagle Online

A largely silent Erling Haaland was Norway’s hero once more with the goal that put his country into the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998, sending Cote d’Ivoire home.

With his fifth goal of this FIFA World Cup 2026 and 60th for Norway overall, Haaland ended the resistance of a Côte d’Ivoire side who had fought back into the game with Amad Diallo’s second-half equaliser, ensuring it is Stale Solbakken’s side who advance to a meeting with Brazil in New York/New Jersey on July 5.

It was Emerse Fae’s Côte d’Ivoire, playing their first World Cup knockout match, who carried the greater early threat in this tightly contested Round of 32 tie.

Their menace from the flanks had been a feature of their group games and after left-back Ghislain Konan had shot into the side netting, their two wingers combined for the best opening of the first half-hour.

Yan Diomande delivered a precise cross to the far post to Nicolas Pepe but from close range, he cushioned his volley back into the six-yard box – rather than goalwards – and Kristoffer Ajer cleared.

Instead, it was Norway left winger Antonio Nusa who provided the breakthrough. Collecting on the left side of the penalty area, he moved the ball onto his right foot, stealing a yard from Pepe, and then bending a brilliant shot into the far corner for his first goal at these finals.

A prominent question before the match was whether Côte d’Ivoire’s defence could contain Haaland.

He had one touch in the opening quarter.

Yet, with Norway’s tails up, he might have doubled the lead when connecting with Alexander Sorloth’s knockdown after 41 minutes but Ibrahim Sangare made the block.

Soon after, Sorloth got his head to a corner but headed past the far post, despite Haaland almost getting there on the stretch.

As Côte d’Ivoire chased an equaliser, Orjan Nyland saved Pepe’s near-post effort yet it was the introduction of Diallo that put the wind in their sails.

After clearing off the line from Torbjorn Heggem, he scored a magnificent equaliser.

Bursting into the box on a give-and-go with Pepe, his quick feet took him two white shirts before an emphatic strike past Nyland.

A goalscorer off the bench against Ecuador he had now repeated the trick.

Yet Haaland would have the final word once more.

A hero at the other end of the field rubber-stamped Norway’s progress.

Diallo sent a free-kick towards goal deep into stoppage time which look destined for the top corner, only for Nyland to get a glove on the ball and send it over.

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