Solbakken is enjoying Norway’s history after reaching the last 16 of the World Cup

Erling Haaland scored four minutes from time to send Norway into the round of 16 of the World Cup for the first time in their history, edging out a spirited Ivory Coast side 2-1 in a breathless Round of 32 match at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

Antonio Nusa put Norway ahead in the 39th minute with a curling effort into the far corner, only for Amad Diallo to equalize in the 74th minute after coming off the bench, breaking through the Norwegian defense and finishing with Orjan Nyland’s left foot.

It looked like it would be extra time before Haaland, who had been quiet for most of the evening, got to the back post to convert Patrick Berg’s cross with a touch and set up one of the most historic results in Norwegian football history.

Norway’s manager, Stale Solbakken, was tight-lipped about the victory afterwards, admitting that the Ivory Coast had made his team work throughout.

“It’s a kind of suffering that you probably can’t find anywhere else, a feeling that you can’t find in any other sport,” he said.

“We played against an amazing team with absolute monsters, physically, who beat us in duels at times.

“The game was going back and forth, it looked like it could go either way. I think we had one or two more chances than they got with everything, it was a win they deserved. But I feel that with their coach, the points were small. It’s hard to put into words what it means.”

Diallo’s magic moment is not enough

Ivory Coast had moments of their own and pushed Norway hard in the second half, with Diallo’s equalizer briefly threatening to swing the game in their favour.

The Manchester United winger, who was introduced on the hour mark, showed the quality the Ivory Coast were hoping to see in the tournament before Haaland ended their hopes at the other end.

Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae was measured but clearly frustrated in his post-match assessment, pointing to the fine points that separate success from finishing at this level.

“That’s football. If you get chances you should score a goal. We worked hard for a draw, unfortunately we conceded that goal at the end. It’s a shame,” he said.

“The players gave everything and played until the end, we were facing a team that held their own and managed to get through the qualifiers. At this level, it comes down to the smallest details, you have to stay focused from the beginning to the end, regardless of where the opponents will play.

“It was everyone’s first World Cup. I think the players learned a lot. Now, we will work to come back strong to face the next challenges.”

‘We can only learn from this competition’

The feeling was shared by Diallo, who became the latest in the opposition to score against Norway before watching Haaland decide to equalise.

The 23-year-old player has been thinking about what this tournament means to a generation of Ivory Coast players who have reached the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time.

“We are disappointed by the defeat because we know that we have many strong players who can make a difference at any time in the game,” he said.

“We were playing against a team with outstanding players, but we conceded a goal near the end of the game, and we apologize for being sent off in this way.

“But we can learn from this tournament, because for many of us, it was our first World Cup.”