TORONTO — Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice as Germany came from behind to defeat Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday and become the first team to secure a place in the World Cup knockout stage.
The four-time champions trailed for much of the match and were being outplayed before coach Julian Nagelsmann introduced Undav, Nadiem Amiri and Felix Nmecha just after the hour mark, a decision that transformed the game.
“It’s important that everyone sees that even the players from the bench can decide games,” Undav said after scoring the equalizer and the stoppage-time winner.
Undav leveled in the 68th minute when Amiri’s long pass reached him after Kai Havertz allowed the ball to run through, and the striker fired home to bring Germany back into the contest.
The decisive moment came four minutes into stoppage time when Felix Nmecha found Undav inside the penalty area and the substitute rifled his shot past goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to complete the comeback.
“Deniz is nobody who needs to be prepared,” Nagelsmann said. “He can jump in right away.”
Germany extended its winning run to 11 matches dating back to September 2025 and bounced back from consecutive group-stage eliminations in 2018 and 2022.
Ivory Coast had taken the lead in the 30th minute through captain Franck Kessié. Amad Diallo’s shot was blocked by Nathaniel Brown, but the rebound fell kindly for Kessié, who finished into an empty corner.
Germany endured a frustrating first half with two goals ruled out. Aleksandar Pavlovic was penalized for a foul on Fofana before an own goal, while Jamal Musiala was adjudged to have committed a foul in the buildup to a Kai Havertz strike.
Despite the defeat, Ivory Coast remain in contention for a first-ever appearance in the knockout stage.
Striker Elye Wahi, who is under investigation in France over alleged betting-related offenses, did not feature after being unable to travel to Canada.
Undav, who also scored in Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curaçao, said the team remains focused on bigger ambitions.
“We showed great character today,” he said. “We want to achieve the most.”
Source: Saudi Gazette