Texas [US], July 1 (ANI): Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae expressed immense pride but deep disappointment following his team's painful 2-1 defeat to Norway, concluding a historic World Cup campaign with an 86th-minute knockout blow.

The match marked a monumental day for Ivorian football as the Elephants competed in their very first World Cup knockout stage fixture. Despite a relentless, spirited performance to claw back into the game, a late defensive lapse allowed Erling Haaland to seal the victory for Norway, leaving the West Africans with virtually no time to strike back.

'It's difficult to lose, you know, in the last few minutes,' Fae said in a post-match press conference via Reuters. 'It's difficult to find the right words, because my players fought from the very first minutes until the very last minute.'

Fae, who famously guided the Ivorians to a fairy-tale continental triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in early 2024, acknowledged that competing on the global stage presents a far steeper learning curve.

Reflecting on the final phase of the match after Amad Diallo's stunning 74th-minute equaliser, Fae noted that a lack of tournament experience ultimately cost them against a hyper-efficient opponent.

'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,' added Fae.

For a large majority of the Ivorian roster, the 2026 tournament represented their first taste of World Cup football. Fae admitted that the team likely lacked the tactical maturity required to manage the closing stages of an elite knockout fixture.

Rather than pushing aggressively in the final ten minutes, the tactician suggested that a more seasoned squad would have prioritised game management to secure extra time. 'Maybe we should have tried to make it until the extra time,' Fae lamented. '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, and that's what happened this afternoon.'

While the tournament ends in heartbreak for the Elephants, the future looks bright for Fae's young squad, who won over global audiences with their energetic, fearless approach in the group stages and the Round of 32.

While the Ivorians head home to build on the lessons learned in Texas, Norway advances to the Round of 16, where they are scheduled to lock horns with footballing giants Brazil in a highly anticipated blockbuster clash. (ANI)