Emerse Faé has drawn a hard line before Germany Vs Ivory Coast in Toronto: Costa de Marfil will not sit back, and it will not go looking for damage control. On Friday, the coach said the Elefantes want to win, seal a place in the next round and leave the game in first place in the group.
The timing is what makes the statement land now. Costa de Marfil and Alemania both won their opening World Cup matches, so the meeting in the Estadio de Toronto for the Mundial 2026 is the kind of game that can reshape the group before it settles. Faé said the winner on Saturday will have practically secured qualification and, in Costa de Marfil's case, will also stay on top of the standings.
Faé made the point without leaving room for caution. “No venimos a ver jugar a Alemania, venimos a derrotarla,” he said, adding that Costa de Marfil wants to return to its camp base in Filadelfia with six points and the conviction that it will finish as group leader. He also said the team will not alter its style because Alemania is the opponent and that the same principles have guided the project for more than two and a half years.
That confidence matters because Costa de Marfil is not being framed as the favorite, and Faé rejected the idea that such a label changes anything. For him, the task is the same: win the match and secure qualification. He pointed to the full squad as well, saying all 26 players can share the field, a sign that the team plans to treat the game as a collective test rather than a cautious hold-the-line exercise.
Faé also addressed Elye Wahi, who arrived at the camp calm, motivated and fully focused on helping the team after reports tied him to a possible investigation over illegal betting during the previous season. In a match with group control on the line, that calm is useful. Costa de Marfil is chasing six points and first place; Alemania arrives with the same perfect start; and the next 90 minutes in Toronto should decide whether the group opens up or tightens around one winner.
