World Cup
Deniz Undav scores winner as Germany beat Ivory Coast 2‑1
Deniz Undav came off the bench to score the decisive stoppage‑time goal, giving Germany a 2‑1 victory over Ivory Coast in Toronto on Thursday. The win lifted Germany to six points after a 7‑1 opening win over Curaçao, while Ivory Coast remained on three points.
Germany began the encounter energetically in Toronto, but the first half saw two potential goals ruled out. Aleksandar Pavlović saw his header from a corner blocked by Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana, and later Kai Havertz's strike was disallowed after Jamal Musiala was judged to have committed a foul earlier in the attack.
Despite the setbacks, Ivory Coast took the lead through Franck Kessié, who positioned himself inside the penalty area after teammate Amad Diallo failed to control the ball and tapped in from close range.
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Julian Nagelsmann's side restored parity in the 68th minute when substitute Nadiem Amiri sent a cross into the box, where fellow substitute Deniz Undav arrived and fired a powerful shot from near the goal line to level the score. The match turned decisive in stoppage time when Undav, having already scored the equaliser, struck again in the fourth minute of added time to secure a 2‑1 win for Germany. The strike sealed the three points for Germany. Ivory Coast defender Wilfried Singo later suffered a hamstring injury, and the loss meant the African nation departed Toronto without any points. The victory lifted Germany to six points after two games, following a 7‑1 triumph over Curaçao, while Ivory Coast remain on three points in the group that also features upcoming fixtures for Ecuador and Curaçao later that night.