CAF Sends World Cup Message to Ivory Coast As They Target History Against Germany
- Ivory Coast will take on Germany in their second Group E match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday
- The Elephants defeated Ecuador 1-0 while Germany trashed debutants Curaçao 7-1 in the first match
- CAF has published a statement about Emerse Fae's side as they aim to reach their first-ever knockout stage
CAF has published a statement about Ivory Coast as they target their first-ever World Cup knockout stage when they face Germany on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Ivory Coast opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against South American side Ecuador and won 1-0, thanks to Amad Diallo’s 90th-minute strike.
Source: Getty Images
They were the first African nation to win at the ongoing tournament and will face Germany, which beat debutant Curaçao 7-1 in their first match.
A win for either side will send them to the knockout stage, and for the Elephants, it would be their first time in the knockout at their fourth time of asking.
Ivory Coast made their World Cup debut in 2006 in Germany, and also featured at South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014, but were eliminated in the group stage.
CAF sends message to Ivory Coast
CAF published a statement on its website emphasising the importance of reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup for Ivory Coast.
The publication noted that despite having some big names in the past, including the legendary Didier Drogba, they failed to get past the group stage.
20 years after their debut on the world stage, in a team which had the current manager, Emerse Fae, the Elephants can finally dream of doing it.
A win today could help them reach the next stage, but any other result means that they will wait till they face Curaçao in the last group game, a match they could win convincingly.
Fae aims for history
Fae took over the team midway through the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil after Jean-Louis Gasset’s dismissal and led the team to the title.
The 42-year-old could further cement his place in Ivorian history if he guides the team to their first World Cup knockout stage, with everything aligning for him to do so.
Source: Getty Images
Fae explained what the team he was part of lacked, and targets doing what they couldn't with him in charge of another young team now.
“It was a pleasure and an honour to belong to that team. We had incredible quality with players like Kolo Touré, Didier Zokora and Kader Keita,” Fae told FIFA.
“What we lacked was experience. We were a young generation, and things came down to fine margins and a lack of success in key moments. We want to surpass Didier's generation”
FIF sends message to Elye Wahi
Legit.ng previously reported that FIF sent a message of support to striker Elye Wahi after he was denied entry into Canada for the game against Germany.
The striker was arrested a few weeks ago on suspicion of spot-fixing during a Ligue 1 match, but the Canadian visa restriction was lifted after the Ivorian Federation appealed.
Source: Legit.ng
