Germany Fair Play Questioned
Ivory Coast Coach Faé Blasts Germany's Fair Play After Controversial World Cup Defeat
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Key Points
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Ivory Coast’s opener was more specific than just “Kessié scored”: Franck Kessié reacted quickest to a rebound after Amad Diallo’s fierce initial strike broke the deadlock in the first half.
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The fair-play controversy is described in match-detail terms: after Wilfried Singo went down injured on the touchline, Germany’s Nathaniel Brown “chose to attempt to continue… rather than leave it off the field,” prompting loud Ivory Coast protests; the dispute involved both coaches and was captured in video as part of the post-match conversation.
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Fae’s message to Brown included a specific rebuke tied to reputation: he told Brown to “stay humble,” said he didn’t need to “talk badly” about the team, and also expressed the wish that “the entire German team had shown more fair play” (with the discussion referenced alongside Brown’s rumored Bayern Munich transfer target).
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Germany’s qualification context went beyond the immediate result: Pulse Sports reported Germany advanced to the knockout stage for the first time since 2014, while Bavarian Football Works added that the win also sealed top spot in Group E and extended Germany’s 11-match winning streak.
Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé lit into Germany after a 2-1 stoppage-time defeat in Toronto, accusing the Germans of a "lack of fair play" after defender Nathaniel Brown refused to return the ball when Wilfried Singo went down injured. Faé told Brown directly to "stay humble" and said he wished "the entire German team had shown more fair play." ESPN reported his remarks after what became one of the most talked-about matches of the 2026 World Cup group stage.
Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice in the second half — equalizing in the 68th minute and then striking a clinical winner in the 94th — to complete Germany's comeback after Franck Kessié had put Ivory Coast ahead. Sky Sports reported that Undav now has nine goals in his last eight appearances for Germany.
How Kessié's Goal Gave Way to Undav's Heroics
Ivory Coast struck first in the 30th minute. Amad Diallo unleashed a fierce shot that Nathaniel Brown blocked, but captain Franck Kessié reacted quickest to the rebound and scored. BBC Sport and Al Jazeera both confirmed the sequence. Germany had already seen two goals disallowed — one from Aleksandar Pavlović in the 22nd minute and one from Kai Havertz in the 40th — so the half-time deficit felt earned by Ivory Coast.
German coach Julian Nagelsmann made a triple substitution on the hour mark, bringing on Undav, Nadiem Amiri, and Jamie Leweling. The move changed the game. Undav headed in an Amiri cross to equalize in the 68th minute. Then, with the clock showing 94 minutes, Felix Nmecha found Undav again and the striker finished clinically to send Germany through. Goal.com noted that Undav scored twice from just three shots.
The Singo Incident That Sparked a Touchline Feud
The flashpoint came in the 78th-80th minute. Ivorian defender Wilfried Singo went down with a hamstring injury and kicked the ball out of bounds to allow treatment. When play resumed, Brown chose to continue with the throw-in rather than return possession to Ivory Coast. Foot Africa described the touchline row that followed as a "fiery feud" involving both coaching staffs.
Faé did not hold back after the match. He said Brown did not need to "talk badly" about his team and urged the young defender to stay grounded. Nagelsmann offered a different view. He said his bench was "fuming" because Singo appeared to roll himself back onto the pitch — which the German camp saw as time-wasting. NDTV reported both coaches' accounts of the confrontation.
Germany Clinch Group E Top Spot After 12-Year Wait
The win gives Germany six points from two matches and seals first place in Group E. Bavarian Football Works noted that it also extends Germany's winning streak to 11 consecutive international matches. More significantly, it ends a painful run: Germany had failed to reach the knockout stage at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Al Jazeera confirmed this is their first knockout-stage qualification in 12 years, since their 2014 title-winning campaign.
Nathaniel Brown, at the center of the fair-play storm, is reportedly a transfer target for Bayern Munich this summer, according to Bavarian Football Works. Brown's decision to keep the ball in play is already one of the most debated moments of the tournament — praised in German circles, condemned across much of Africa.
Ivory Coast Still Controls Its Own Knockout Fate
Despite the loss, Ivory Coast sit second in Group E with three points. Their final group match is against Curaçao — the same team Germany beat 7-1 in their opener. Faé said the defeat would be used to fix shortcomings, and that his squad, 26 of whom are making their World Cup debut, still holds its own destiny. K24 Digital reported that Faé has openly compared this generation's ambitions to Morocco's historic semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup.
Curaçao — a nation of just 160,000 people — drew 0-0 with Ecuador on the same matchday, keeping the race for second place alive. ABS-CBN reported that Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made a record 15 saves in that match. Ivory Coast will need at least a draw, and likely a win, to guarantee their place in the Round of 32.
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