Undav's Winner
Germany Stages Dramatic 2-1 Comeback Against Ivory Coast, Undav's Late Double Tops Group E
Key Points
An early Germany chance was denied after they looked to be behind the goal line before the first hydration break, but Reuters reported the goal was ruled out because of a foul on Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana—leaving the match 0-0 until Kessié’s 30th-minute opener.
The Guardian outlined several specific pre-tournament doubts around Germany, including an “absence of an obvious choice for striker,” concerns about Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz’s form, injuries to Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl, and Manuel Neuer being brought back from nearly two years of international retirement to solve the goalkeeper problem.
Ivory Coast made a notable selection change: Reuters-equivalent match reporting by Yahoo said they dropped forward Elye Wahi, adding context that he “had only gained a Canadian visa at the second attempt” amid a criminal spot-fixing probe in France (which he denies).
Undav’s winner carried an additional personal context in the buildup to the tournament—Yahoo reported he had feared he would miss Germany’s World Cup squad after “negative comments” from Julian Nagelsmann, and News18 similarly stressed that Undav’s impact was driven by the motivation of needing to “flip the script.”
Germany are through to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since 2014, after substitute Deniz Undav scored twice to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto. Undav came off the bench in the 55th minute and delivered an equaliser in the 68th, then a 94th-minute winner to complete a stunning comeback. Germany top Group E with six points.
The result ends a painful chapter for German football. The four-time world champions crashed out in the group stage in both 2018 and 2022. A late header from Undav — set up by a Joshua Kimmich cross — put that run to rest, sparking celebrations among German fans across the stadium.
Undav Silences Doubters With Two Off the Bench
Before the tournament, Undav feared he might not even make the squad. News18 reported he felt pressure to "flip the script" on his career after Julian Nagelsmann made "negative comments" about his defensive work rate. Nagelsmann brought him on anyway — and Undav delivered. "I knew I had to prove I belonged here. Every minute felt like a trial," Undav said on German television after the game.
His first goal came in the 68th minute — a low driven shot into the bottom corner. His second was a header in the 94th minute from a Kimmich cross. Two goals in 35 minutes of play. beIN Sports noted it was Germany's first 90th-minute winning goal at a World Cup since Toni Kroos buried Sweden in 2018.
Disallowed Goals and Kessié's Opener Made It a Long Night
Germany had a goal ruled out before the first hydration break. According to Reuters, VAR flagged a foul by Kai Havertz on Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana — wiping out what looked like an early lead. Then on 30 minutes, Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessié scored from a set-piece rebound to make it 1-0. Germany went into half-time behind.
The second half brought more frustration before Undav's breakthrough. Two more Germany goals were ruled out — one by Havertz for offside, one by Aleksandar Pavlović for handball in the build-up. Germany had nine shots on target to Ivory Coast's three and held 64% possession, but clean finishing kept eluding them until Undav arrived.
Germany's Pre-Tournament Problems Did Not Go Away
The Guardian laid out a long list of worries heading into the tournament. There was no obvious striker. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz were short of top form. Serge Gnabry and teenage forward Lennart Karl were injured. And Manuel Neuer, now 40, was called back from nearly two years of international retirement just to fill the goalkeeper spot.
Those concerns did not vanish against Ivory Coast. Nico Schlotterbeck went off at half-time with a suspected hamstring injury, leaving Germany's defence looking thin. Nagelsmann used the same starting XI that beat Curaçao 7-1, a choice analysts feared could lead to fatigue. The comeback papered over the cracks — but the cracks are still there heading into the knockouts.
Ivory Coast's Off-Field Chaos Added to Their Problems
Ivory Coast came in with confidence after beating Ecuador 1-0. But they were missing forward Elye Wahi from the start. Yahoo Sports reported Wahi had only received his Canadian visa "at the second attempt," delayed by an ongoing criminal spot-fixing probe in France — charges he denies. His absence left Ivory Coast lighter up front than expected.
Captain Kessié said after the match that the team "showed the world African football can dominate technically, not just physically." But the result leaves Ivory Coast on three points, needing to avoid defeat against Ecuador to advance. Elsewhere on Matchday 2, the Netherlands hammered Sweden 5-1 in Vancouver, with Cody Gakpo scoring twice to send the Dutch surging in their group.
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