Scotland 0-1 Ivory Coast: Pepe goal sees hosts lose second game in a row

Scotland were beaten for the second successive game as they lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast courtesy of Nicolas Pepe’s goal at Hampden as their World Cup preparations suffered another blow.

After a promising start, Scotland were pegged back in the 12th minute when former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe, who reacted quickest to a shot off the post to find the net with the rebound.

The visitors were undoubtedly the more assured team from that point in the second half, limiting the Tartan Army to few chances and almost catching out Liam Kelly with a long-range shot from Elye Wahi which looked close to making it two.

Scott McTominay led the comeback but a speculative shot from 20 yards was the best Steve Clarke’s men had to show for their efforts in the first half.

Scotland improved after the break, threatening from set-pieces, particlarly through George Hirst, and going close with a couple of headers, but lacked the quality to find an equaliser.

And they could easily have found themselves 2-0 down when Christ Inao Oulai planted a free header in the middle of the box over the bar.

Scotland’s best moment of the game came through experienced duo John McGinn and Andy Robertson as a sublime cross by the former eventially found the way of Tommy Conway who chested it down before flopping over on the turf.

Again, it was Ivory Coast who seemed to go closest to a second though as Simon Adingra struck the woodwork, with the Tartan Army failing to bring the game level as they suffered a second straight defeat – and indeed a second game in which they failed to score.