Ivory Coast boss reveals one factor that caused the Elephants' loss to Norway

Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé has pointed to a glaring lack of maturity as the primary reason for his side's heartbreaking exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.

The Elephants’ historic run came to an abrupt end in Arlington, Texas, following a late defensive lapse against a clinical Norwegian side.

The West African heavyweights appeared primed to force extra time after Manchester United winger Amad Diallo netted a spectacular 74th-minute equaliser, cancelling out Antonio Nusa’s brilliant first-half opener.

Despite dominating large portions of the match, the Ivorians were plagued by poor touches in the final third and ultimate lapses in concentration.

The ultimate punishment arrived just four minutes from the final whistle when Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland clinically exploited a defensive gap to secure a 2-1 victory for Norway.

Speaking in a sombre post-match press conference, Faé expressed his immense pride in his squad's work ethic but conceded that their lack of tournament experience proved fatal, stating, “We've learned a lot, thanks to this competition. It was the very first World Cup for many players, and maybe we were lacking in maturity.

"Maybe we should have tried to make it until the extra time, but when you're playing this type of team, you know, as soon as they get the slightest opportunity to score, well, they take it.”

The defeat brings a bitter end to what had otherwise been a groundbreaking tournament for the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions.

Competing in their first World Cup since 2014, this marked the very first time the Ivory Coast had ever advanced past the group stage, following impressive group victories over Ecuador and Curaçao.

Faé admitted that his players allowed their emotions to get the better of them after Diallo's equaliser, abandoning their defensive shape in an impulsive hunt for a winning goal.

The tactician emphasised that the squad must learn to be far more pragmatic on the global stage, warning that elite European sides will always ruthlessly punish a team the moment they lose focus and open up spaces at the back.