Nicolas Pepe, the former Arsenal record signing, was at the forefront of Ivory Coast's 2-0 victory over World Cup debutants Curaçao.
The Elephants breezed past their Caribbean counterparts, scoring one in each half and seeing out the win in relative ease.
Story of the match
The 31-year-old opened the scoring in the 9th minute of the game, converting Yan Diomande's pass following a mistake by Joshua Brenet and Juriën Gaari.
The Ivorians mostly dominated play after their goal, however the Blue Stars managed to grow back into the game toward the end of the half - with Leandro Bacuna coming close in the 44th minute, but his effort hit the side netting.
The second half saw more pressure being put on the Curaçaoans, with Yan Diomande continuing to cause problems to Joshua Brenet and the rest of their defence.
This pressure eventually amounted to Pepe scoring his second in the 64th minute, with Ibrahim Sangare threading the ball into the Villarreal winger - before he sent a beautiful curler past Eloy Room into the far top corner.
Pepe and Diomande were replaced just minutes later, with The Elephants controlling the game effectively, and sending them to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in their history.
What it means for the group
Three points for Emerse Fae's men means that they finish second in Group E, behind table toppers Germany, whilst Curaçao finish bottom with one point.
Finishing second in the group means that Ivory Coast will face the runner-up of Group I, which currently stands as Norway, but could also be France if the Norwegian Vikings beat them on Friday.
Ecuador upset Germany in the other game of Group E, meaning that The Tricolour will most likely qualify in 3rd place.
Pepe proves his worth
Following his blockbuster move from Lille to Arsenal in 2019 for a record fee of £72 million, Nicolas Pepe failed to live up to his hype and price tag - leaving the Gunners in 2023 on a free.
He has since failed to recapture his form shown in France, until this season where he managed 18 G+A in La Liga for Villarreal.
Today, his two goals and a MOTM performance proved decisive in a game that made history for his nation - a real comeback story for the once disregarded man.
Yan Diomande: A Wanted Man
Rumours have been swirling surrounding the future of Yan Diomande after his blistering season with RB Leipzig.
Heavily linked with Liverpool, the 19-year-old proved today why prices in excess of £100 million are being discussed regarding the transfer of the winger.
Having provided the assist for the opening goal, the teenage sensation became the youngest player to be involved in a goal for The Elephants in World Cup history at just 19 years and 223 days old.
Diomande's performances so far may justify why Europe's top clubs are swooping around the Ivorian, definitely a player to look out for in the knockout stages.
The Blue Wave's dream ends
The smallest country by population in World Cup history have been eliminated.
Despite this, it has been commendable in the way Curaçao have recovered following their 7-1 battering by Germany in their opening game.
An incredible point earned against Ecuador thanks to heroics by goalkeeper Eloy Room have given the nation a reason to be proud of their first World Cup campaign.
