Soccer
Gervinho has claimed the biggest threat Ivory Coast must be wary of against Norway is themselves, not Erling Haaland.
Ivory Coast have qualified for the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, having claimed second place in their group, behind Germany.
Their reward is a tie against Norway in the round of 32, meaning Ivory Coast’s defence must go up against one of the world’s best forwards in Haaland, who has already plundered four goals in two games.
But Gervinho, the former Arsenal attacker and Ivory Coast international, feels Ivory Coast must worry about themselves, rather than Norway’s fearsome striker.
Gervinho told Stats Perform: “I think the level of the competition is going up. It’s a knockout game. The advantage we have is that we’re not going into it as favourites, so that should allow my younger brothers to play more relaxed — not relaxed exactly, but with less pressure.
“What I would say is that they should enjoy themselves, because at this level, they’ve already done a good job.
“Going through would be a bonus, of course, and we hope they go very far in this competition. But they need to enjoy it and not put too much pressure on themselves. I think the pressure will be on Norway.”
Asked if Ivory Coast should have a specific plan to target Haaland, Gervinho replied: “I would say no, I don’t think so.
“They just need to be alert with him because he’s very skilful, he moves well, and he’s clinical. But aside from Haaland, I think there are quite a few quality players who are underestimated but very dangerous.
“But Ivory Coast’s real opponent will be Ivory Coast themselves.
“I think we also have good players up front. We have talent too. We have Ange-Yoan Bonny, Yan Diomande, Amad Diallo, Nicolas Pepe.
“There are a lot of players who can also trouble the Norwegian defence. So if we’re efficient, if we create chances, if we play our football, I also think it’s not only Haaland who should worry us; Norway will also be worried about our level.”
As we know, Erling Haaland doesn’t need many touches. It’s what makes him elite.
Every one of the Norway striker’s 10 shots at the 2026 World Cup has been struck first time, the highest rate of any player to attempt at least six shots at the tournament pic.twitter.com/Wb5c1iatsu
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) June 26, 2026
Haaland was an unused substitute in Norway’s 4-1 defeat to France, meaning he still has the opportunity to be the first player since Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis in 1954 to score 2+ goals in each of his first three World Cup appearances.
But going the other way, Diomande looks set to be a huge threat to Norway’s defence.
The winger, who reportedly wishes to join Paris Saint-Germain, became only the second African player on record (from 1966) to complete 10+ dribbles (10) and create 10+ chances (10) in a single World Cup group stage. Indeed, he was the first player to do so for any nation in the groups alone since Brazil’s Neymar in 2018.
“Looking at where he started and the different clubs he has been through, you can see that he’s progressing, and that’s a good thing,” Gervinho said.
“Right now, I would say he’s the one who can bring something extra, who can lead Ivory Coast’s attack. I’m not surprised that we’ve had a young player emerge to lead that attack, because we’ve always had players. I know we will always have players.
“We’re happy to have Yan with us. We hope he takes charge of this attack like a leader and helps this team progress. But it’s not only Yan. He’s a young player who is still growing, but he can rely on the experience of Nicolas Pepe and the others.”
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