germany 2 | 1 cote d’ivoire
Toronto, June 21: Substitute Deniz Undav struck twice in the second half, including a dramatic stoppage-time winner, as Germany came from behind to defeat Ivory Coast 2-1 and secure a place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup on Saturday.
The four-time world champions looked set for a frustrating evening after trailing for much of the contest, but Undav’s impact off the bench transformed the game and kept Germany’s revival campaign firmly on track.
With the match heading towards a draw, Felix Nmecha slipped a pass into Undav’s path deep into stoppage time.
The forward made no mistake, firing past goalkeeper Yahia Fofana in the 94th minute to spark wild celebrations among the German players and supporters.
Undav had already brought Germany level in the 68th minute after being introduced alongside Nadiem Amiri just eight minutes earlier. Amiri launched a long ball forward, which Kai Havertz cleverly allowed to run through. Undav latched onto it and emphatically buried his shot into the net to restore parity.
The victory marked another important step in Germany’s resurgence after suffering group-stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Significantly, the last time Germany progressed beyond the group stage was in 2014, when they went on to lift the trophy in Brazil.
Ivory Coast, meanwhile, were left to rue a missed opportunity to make history. The African side is still chasing its first-ever appearance in the knockout rounds, although qualification remains mathematically possible.
The Ivorians had taken the lead in the 30th minute through captain Franck Kessie. The move began when Yan Diomande delivered a dangerous ball into the area for Amad Diallo. While Diallo’s effort was blocked by Germany defender Nathaniel Brown, the rebound fell kindly to Kessie, who calmly slotted the ball into the unguarded corner of the net.
Germany endured a frustrating first half and twice thought they had equalised, only for both goals to be ruled out.The first incident came in the 21st minute when Fofana inadvertently punched the ball into his own net under pressure. However, the referee disallowed the goal after ruling that Germany midfielder Aleksander Pavlovic had illegally challenged the goalkeeper.
A second German effort was chalked off in the 38th minute. Jamal Musiala was adjudged to have committed a foul during the build-up before Havertz found the net, leaving the Germans increasingly frustrated.
Despite dominating possession and creating several opportunities, Germany struggled to break down a disciplined Ivory Coast defence for much of the match. The introduction of Undav and Amiri, however, injected urgency and creativity into the attack.The pair combined effectively, with Amiri providing the assist for the equaliser before Nmecha and Undav linked up for the decisive goal in added time.
The result guarantees Germany a place in the knockout rounds and underlines their growing confidence as the tournament progresses. For Ivory Coast, the defeat was a bitter setback, though their hopes of advancing remain alive heading into the final round of group matches.
Adding to the intrigue surrounding the African side, striker Elye Wahi was unavailable for selection despite winning a legal battle to enter Canada. Wahi remains under investigation over alleged betting-related offences during his time with French club Nice and did not feature in the match.Germany will now look to build on the momentum generated by their dramatic comeback, while Ivory Coast must regroup quickly as they seek to keep their World Cup dream alive. (AP)
