World Cup 2026: Maybe we lacked a bit of maturity – Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae after exit

Ivory Coast’s World Cup journey came to a painful end on Tuesday after a late Erling Haaland winner secured a 2-1 victory for Norway in their last-32 clash.

Head coach Emerse Faé admitted his side showed promise but fell short in key moments, describing a lack of “maturity” as decisive in the closing stages of a tightly contested encounter.

Norway struck first just before half-time through a brilliant effort from Antonio Nusa, giving them a narrow advantage at the break. Ivory Coast responded strongly in the second half, with substitute Amad Diallo producing a composed finish to restore parity and energise the African side.

However, with just four minutes remaining, Haaland found space unmarked to deliver the decisive blow, sending Norway through to the last 16 where they will meet Brazil.

Faé praised his players for their effort and resilience but lamented the manner in which the game slipped away late on.

“It’s tough to lose in the final minutes. They gave everything, they fought from the first to the last minute,” he said. “Maybe we lacked a bit of maturity, especially after the equaliser. At the end, we should have tried to hold on and take it to extra time.”

He added that his young squad learned valuable lessons from the tournament, which marked a historic milestone as Ivory Coast reached the knockout stage for the first time in their World Cup history.

“When you’re not able to score, you need to know how to stay solid defensively and not give the slightest opportunity to players like that,” Faé said, referencing Haaland’s late strike.

The coach also defended his decision not to start Diallo, insisting the Manchester United winger was always planned as an impact option.

“We knew he would give us a lot when he came in, and that’s what he did,” Faé noted.