CURACAO, Curacao (Interstat) — The World Cup qualifying campaign resumes Thursday when Curacao hosts Cote d’Ivoire at Stadion Ergilio Hato. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time. Curacao enters the match winless in its last two outings after a scoreless draw at Ecuador on Saturday. That result followed a 7-1 home defeat to Germany on June 14, a lopsided loss that exposed defensive frailties. The Dutch Caribbean side has shown flashes of scoring punch — a 7-0 thrashing of Bermuda in November and a 5-1 win over Haiti in June 2025 — but inconsistency has plagued its campaign. Curacao’s overall record in qualifying stands at 4-3-2 across all competitions this season, with 22 goals scored and 12 conceded. Cote d’Ivoire arrives having dropped a 2-1 decision at Germany on Saturday, a tight contest that saw the Elephants take an early lead before conceding twice. That defeat snapped a two-match winning streak. The Ivorians rebounded from a 2-0 loss at Zambia in February with a 3-1 home victory over Lesotho the same day. Their qualifying form has been uneven: 4-2-2 overall, with 10 goals for and eight against. Notable results include a 1-0 win at Burundi in September and a 1-1 draw with Cameroon in December. Thursday’s matchup carries significance for both nations. Curacao, ranked 84th in the world, aims to build momentum after a mixed run of results against regional opponents. Cote d’Ivoire, ranked 50th, seeks to climb the group standings and recover from the Germany setback. The Interstat game simulator projects a 2-1 victory for Cote d’Ivoire, a forecast that aligns with the Elephants’ deeper roster and experience in high-stakes international matches. Curacao will rely on its attacking trio, which accounted for four goals in the Bermuda rout, while Cote d’Ivoire’s defense — conceding only twice in its last three qualifiers — will be tested by the home side’s pace on the counter. The two teams have met once previously, a friendly in 2023 that ended 1-1. Weather forecasts call for partly cloudy skies and temperatures near 82 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff. Lineups are expected to be announced an hour before the match. The game is the first of a two-match home stand for Curacao, which faces Jamaica on Tuesday.