Ivory Coast suffered late heartbreak as Germany came from behind to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory in their FIFA World Cup Group E clash in Toronto, sealing their place in the Round of 32 while leaving the Elephants with work to do in their final group match.

After opening their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ecuador, Emerse Faé’s men arrived full of confidence and produced another spirited display against one of the tournament favourites. The Ivorians started brightly, pressing high and showing ambition from the opening whistle as they looked to unsettle a German side that had thrashed Curaçao 7-1 in their first outing.

Germany gradually settled into the contest and began enjoying more possession, but Ivory Coast remained dangerous on the counterattack and looked comfortable defensively. The Europeans thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half when they scored from a corner, only for the effort to be ruled out after the referee spotted a foul on the Ivorian goalkeeper.

The Elephants capitalised on that reprieve in the 29th minute. A brilliant attacking move down the left flank ended with a low cross into the box, where Franck Kessié arrived at the perfect moment to tap home and give Ivory Coast a deserved lead. The goal capped a confident opening half from the African side, who matched Germany’s intensity and carried a 1-0 advantage into the break despite increasing pressure from the Europeans.

Germany responded by increasing the pressure before halftime and even had another effort ruled out for a foul in the build-up. However, the Ivorians defended with discipline and determination to take their 1-0 advantage into the break.

The second half saw Germany take complete control of possession as they pushed numbers forward in search of an equaliser. Ivory Coast were forced deeper into their own half but continued to defend bravely, with the backline and goalkeeper standing firm against wave after wave of German attacks.

Their resistance was finally broken in the 68th minute when Deniz Undav met a dangerous cross inside the penalty area and calmly finished to level the score at 1-1.

The equaliser shifted momentum firmly in Germany’s favour, but Ivory Coast still had a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead late in the match. Simon Adingra found himself in space inside the box in the 88th minute but failed to connect cleanly with the ball, allowing Germany to survive.

That missed chance proved costly. Deep into stoppage time, Undav struck again to complete Germany’s comeback and snatch all three points in heartbreaking fashion for the African side.

Despite the defeat, Ivory Coast remain in a strong position to qualify for the Round of 32. A victory over Curaçao in their final Group E match will guarantee progression, while a draw could also be enough following favourable results elsewhere in the group.