Emerse Fae: Ivory Coast expect victory vs Germany in upcoming World Cup battle

By SABC Sport
20th June 2026

Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae has warned Germany that his team are not heading into their 2026 FIFA World Cup clash simply to make up the numbers.

The Africa Cup of Nations champions are determined to challenge the four-time world champions and fight for a place in the knockout stages.

The two sides meet in Toronto later today in a crucial Group E encounter, with Fae insisting Ivory Coast have arrived with the belief they can secure another important victory.

"We're not coming to watch the Germans play. We're coming to beat them, we're coming to get that qualification for the second round," Fae said.

Ivory Coast opened their World Cup campaign with a late 1-0 victory over Ecuador, with substitute Amad Diallo scoring the decisive goal in the closing moments. Another win against Germany would put Fae's side in a strong position to progress and continue their push for top spot in the group.

"We want to go home after the game tomorrow to our base camp in Philadelphia not only with our six points, but also the certainty that we'll finish top of the pack," the coach added.

Germany will provide a major test after they started the tournament in impressive fashion, scoring seven goals in their opening match against Curacao. However, Fae believes Ivory Coast's preparation and team unity can help them compete against one of the tournament favourites.

"We've been growing together, and it's not the eve of a game that we're going to change what we're used to," he said. "We want to control the game, we want to play to our strengths, and we want to try and limit our weaknesses."

The Ivory Coast coach also rejected the idea that his players would be affected by Germany's reputation or their status as underdogs.

"We weren't the favourites going into the game against Ecuador either," Fae explained. "We went in all guns blazing, and tomorrow we're playing against a strong team. We don't want to be thinking about being favourites. It's about winning the game."

With six clean sheets in their last 10 matches, Ivory Coast will rely on their defensive strength and growing confidence as they look to produce another statement performance on the World Cup stage.