Crystal Palace forward Evann Guessand has a fresh World Cup chance tonight as Ivory Coast face Curaçao in Philadelphia.
According to Palace’s official World Cup tracker, the 24-year-old was an unused substitute in the opening 1-0 win over Ecuador before making his tournament bow from the bench in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Germany.
That makes Thursday night’s Group E fixture a sharp checkpoint for both player and club. Ivory Coast sit on three points after two games, and victory would leave them strongly placed to reach the last 32 through either the automatic qualification places or the expanded tournament’s best third-placed route.
Guessand Can Turn Cameo Into Knockout Push
For Palace, the interest stretches beyond one international appearance. Guessand joined the club’s growing tournament list after making his World Cup debut for Ivory Coast, adding another live summer storyline for Pierre Sage before pre-season begins.
The forward’s versatility remains the key detail. Palace used him as an attacking option last season, while Ivory Coast can call on him from wide areas or through the middle if the game opens up late.
A decisive contribution tonight would send Guessand back into the knockout conversation and give Palace another player returning from the tournament with meaningful pressure minutes behind him.
