AfriPulse
June 21, (THEWILL) — Germany secured their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Côte d’Ivoire in their Group E Matchday Two clash at Toronto Stadium on Saturday.
The Germans appeared headed for a shock defeat after Franck Kessié gave Côte d’Ivoire the lead in the 30th minute against the run of play. Despite dominating possession and creating several scoring opportunities, Germany struggled to break down a resilient Ivorian defence for much of the contest.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side also endured frustration before the break, with two goals ruled out following VAR reviews.
With time running out and Germany still trailing, substitute Deniz Undav changed the course of the match. Introduced in the 60th minute, the forward levelled the score eight minutes later after connecting with a pass from Nadiem Amiri.
As the game entered stoppage time, Germany continued to push for a winner. Their persistence paid off in the fourth minute of added time when Felix Nmecha found Undav inside the penalty area. The striker turned sharply and fired beyond goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to complete a remarkable turnaround.
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The victory gives Germany six points from their opening two matches and guarantees qualification for the knockout stage, while Côte d’Ivoire remain in contention despite suffering a painful defeat.
Germany had opened their campaign with a convincing 7-1 win over Curaçao, while Côte d’Ivoire defeated Ecuador 1-0 in their first match.
Undav’s match-winning performance off the bench proved decisive as Germany survived one of their toughest tests of the tournament so far and maintained their perfect record in Group E.
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