Diallo and Fae Keep Faith After Germany Defeat
Côte d’Ivoire winger Amad Diallo has insisted the Elephants remain masters of their own fate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even after suffering a painful 2-1 defeat to Germany in Group E.
The West Africans went toe‑to‑toe with one of the tournament favourites and looked set for a positive result after taking the lead through Franck Kessié. However, Germany turned the tide after the break, with substitute Deniz Undav scoring twice — including a late winner — to secure Die Mannschaft’s place in the Round of 32.
The loss leaves Côte d’Ivoire needing a positive outcome against Curaçao in their final group match on Thursday to boost their chances of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in the nation’s history.
Diallo’s Reaction
Reflecting on the defeat, Manchester United forward Diallo acknowledged Germany’s quality made the clash a stern test but remained confident his side could still progress.
“It was a really difficult game for us, and we knew it was going to be hard because we were playing against a top‑quality team that has players capable of making a difference at any moment,” Diallo told reporters. “We are going to learn from this and we can still go through to the next round.”
Coach Fae’s Perspective
Head coach Emerse Fae shared a similar sentiment, lamenting his team’s inability to convert chances after Kessié’s early goal. He pointed to a lack of composure in decisive moments as the key factor that allowed Germany to mount their comeback.
“It’s more frustration that we’re feeling after this defeat, because we were able to open the score against this strong German side,” Fae said. “A difference in experience meant that in the chances we did have at the end of the game, where we needed to find the back of the net, we were hesitant.”
Despite the setback, Fae refused to dwell on the loss, instead focusing on the lessons his players can take into their final group‑stage encounter.
“We’re going to use this game as a lesson to try and fine‑tune the mistakes, our shortcomings that we still have, and that will help us go as far as possible,” he added. “Our destiny is still in our hands, or our feet.”
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