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Ivory Coast coach slams Germany’s lack of sportsmanship after narrow World Cup loss
21st June, 2026 06:48 AM
Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé expressed disappointment with Germany’s conduct following his side’s dramatic 2-1 defeat in their FIFA World Cup Group E encounter at Toronto’s BMO Field on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The Elephants’ boss took issue with an incident involving defender Wilfried Singo, who deliberately sent the ball out of play after suffering an injury. Instead of returning possession, Germany’s Nathaniel Brown quickly restarted play and launched an attack, a move Faé felt went against football’s unwritten code of fair play.
Speaking after the match, Faé revealed he confronted the German defender.
“I told him [Brown] to stay humble,” Faé said. “He had a great game, and he doesn’t need to talk badly to us because he is losing or at 1-1 because he wants to win.
“We would have liked more fair play from Germany. We would have liked them to give us the ball back when Singo got injured. They are a great football nation, and we take an example from them, so I was disappointed by their lack of fair play,” he added.
Dominant Elephants
Ivory Coast were the stronger side for much of the contest and deservedly led through Franck Kessié’s first-half strike. Germany struggled to impose themselves as the African side controlled large portions of the match and frustrated the 2014 world champions.
However, Germany’s fortunes changed after the introduction of substitute Deniz Undav, who struck twice in the second half to turn the game around and secure qualification to the knockout stage.
Despite the painful defeat, Faé praised his players for matching one of the tournament favourites.
“Both teams deserved to win and had the chances to win the game,” he said. “Well done to Germany. They won the game because of their experience. We had a great game, and I am really proud of how my players play against one of the favourites of the competition. We have to use this defeat for the rest of the tournament.
“We could have scored a second goal at 1-1, but we missed our chance. But they scored theirs. Undav was so calm when he took his chance. That’s experience. We will use this to continue to grow and correct the little mistakes that we make. We still have our destiny between our feet, and we could qualify without having to rely on other results.” The tactician said.
Knockout place
The defeat denied Ivory Coast the opportunity to secure an early place in the knockout rounds. Nevertheless, they remain in a favourable position heading into their final group fixture against Curaçao.
A victory in that match will guarantee progression for the Elephants.
Forward Amad Diallo insisted the squad would quickly recover from the setback and focus on the task ahead.
“We [have] respect for ourselves, but we want to make history for Côte d’Ivoire, and we [are] going to go there with good mentality and try to live again,” Diallo said.
With Ivory Coast ranked significantly higher than Curaçao in FIFA’s standings, confidence remains high within the camp, although Diallo warned against complacency.
“It’s going to be a big moment for everyone, for this new generation, because we know we have quality in the team,” he said. “But the priority now is we are really focused on ourselves. It’s going to be a very hard game.”
Undav delivers off the bench
Deniz Undav continued his remarkable impact as Germany’s super substitute, coming off the bench to score twice and inspire a comeback victory over Ivory Coast in Toronto.
The Stuttgart striker has emerged as one of the most effective forwards at the tournament, boasting an impressive international scoring record. His brace against Ivory Coast took his tally to nine goals in just 11 appearances for Germany, while also moving him level with Lionel Messi and Jonathan David among the World Cup’s leading scorers.
The victory ensured Germany’s place in the Round of 32 and represented a major step forward after disappointing group-stage exits in both 2018 and 2022.
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