Advocaat After Ivory Coast Loss: We Gifted Them the First Goal

Curacao head coach Dick Advocaat reflected on his team's 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, highlighting the significant gap in class between the two sides.

The match was the final group stage fixture. Following the loss, Curacao finished bottom of Group E with just one point, leading to their elimination from the competition.

“I can’t fault anyone – the team worked diligently to try and get a result,” Advocaat stated.

“We gifted the opposition their first goal. Despite that, we had enough opportunities to score ourselves. Losses like this happen when you’re up against a stronger opponent,” the experienced tactician added.