Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast: Undav's late double sinks brave Ivory Coast

If you slept through Sunday's 4am kickoff in Toronto, you missed a proper comeback. Ivory Coast led Germany at the break and looked set to stun Group E's heavyweights, only for Deniz Undav to break their hearts twice — the second deep into stoppage time. Germany scraped it, but the scoreline barely tells the drama.

Final score: Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast — kick-off was Sunday 21 June 2026, 4:00 AM Singapore time at Toronto.

The storylines

Germany走 away with three points, but this was anything but the procession many expected. After thrashing Curaçao 7-1 on Matchday 4, the favourites were jolted by an Ivory Coast side that defended with belief and struck first. The result keeps Germany top of Group E on three points, yet the manner of it — needing a 94th-minute winner — exposes a fragility that better opposition will note. Top spot, but plenty to fix.

Ivory Coast will replay this one for weeks. Having already edged Ecuador 1-0, they arrived organised and fearless, took the lead through Franck Kessié and held it past the hour. To lose it in the final seconds, after Undav's equaliser had already deflated them, is cruel. The performance proves they can live with Europe's elite; the points return — none from a winnable position — is the wound that lingers across this group.

Deniz Undav is the name Singapore readers should circle. Twice he found the decisive touch, first prodding home Nadiem Amiri's 68th-minute service to level, then arriving on Felix Nmecha's pass to win it in the 94th. For a striker fighting for minutes in a stacked German attack, two goals off the bench-or-not is the kind of statement that reshapes a manager's selection headaches for the knockout rounds ahead.

The tactical battle

Ivory Coast sat compact and trusted Kessié's engine to break lines, and for an hour the plan worked beautifully. Germany's response was patience and width, pressing Ivory Coast deeper until gaps appeared. The introduction of fresh legs around Amiri and Nmecha shifted the rhythm, and both German goals came from quick combinations through the middle. Ivory Coast's discipline cracked only when fatigue set in — precisely when Germany's depth told.

Players to watch

• Deniz Undav (Germany) — Scored both German goals, including the stoppage-time winner — a striker seizing his moment.
• Franck Kessié (Ivory Coast) — Opened the scoring and drove Ivory Coast's midfield; the heartbeat of their resistance.
• Nadiem Amiri (Germany) — Assisted the equaliser and orchestrated Germany's tempo shift after the break.

What's at stake

Germany move to the front of Group E and tighten their grip on qualification, though the late escape flags work to do. Ivory Coast, despite their earlier win over Ecuador, leave with nothing from a match they led, and now face a tense run-in where every point against Ecuador and Curaçao becomes essential to staying alive.

Key moments

• 30' Franck Kessié fires Ivory Coast ahead in Toronto
• 68' Deniz Undav levels from Nadiem Amiri's assist
• 94' Undav strikes again, set up by Felix Nmecha, to win it

FAQ

What time is Germany vs Ivory Coast in Singapore? Sunday 21 June 2026, 4:00 AM Singapore time (SGT).

Where is Germany vs Ivory Coast being played? At Toronto.

What is the head-to-head record between Germany and Ivory Coast? Both sides came in on maximum points — Germany via a 7-1 rout of Curaçao, Ivory Coast through a 1-0 win over Ecuador. This was the group's first true heavyweight test.