Norway secured a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in an entertaining Round of 32 encounter.
TheNigerian Anchor reports that both sides adopted an attacking approach from the opening whistle, producing an evenly balanced contest before Norway’s clinical finishing proved decisive.
Norway broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Antonio Nusa calmly slotted home after a well-weighted pass from captain Martin Odegaard, giving the Europeans a deserved lead heading into the interval.
Ivory Coast returned from the break with renewed urgency and gradually increased the pressure in search of an equaliser. Their persistence paid off in the 74th minute as Amad Diallo finished from close range after being set up by Nicolas Pepe, restoring parity and reigniting the Elephants’ hopes of advancing.
With extra time looming, Norway struck the decisive blow four minutes from time. Erling Haaland latched onto Patrick Berg’s pass before producing a composed finish in the 86th minute to restore his side’s advantage.
Ivory Coast threw numbers forward in the closing stages, but Norway remained disciplined defensively to preserve their lead and book their place in the last 16.
Speaking after the match, Norway captain Martin Odegaard praised his teammates’ resilience.
“We stayed focused and fought until the final whistle.”
The victory underlined Norway’s composure in crucial moments, while Ivory Coast bowed out of the tournament after an impressive and spirited display.
