By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
FOUR TIMES world senior men’s football champions, German Machine proved their prowess from the bench at the Toronto Stadium in Canada on Saturday night, Nigerian time when Deniz Undav brace (a slang for two goals in a match) dimmed the hope of Elephants of Ivory Coast to break world record to qualify for the knockout stages in a brilliant style with a match outstanding for the first time.
The Ivoriens stood in awe as super sub (a slang for a good substitute) Deniz collected a pass from Felix Nmeche in injury time of 90+4th minute to beat a wall of Elephants that blinded their goalkeeper who hitherto had kept a clean slate (a slang for not conceding a goal so far in a tournament) for the winning goal.
Deniz on fresh substitution had received a Nadiem Amiri assist in the 68th minute to register the equalizer.
Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia 30-year-old Midfielder, had in the 30th minute of the game scored the match opener for Ivory Coast to raise a hope for a record outing which globally acclaimed German Machine, so called because of great team character of strength in football history, cancelled effortlessly.
The only time both countries met at an international friendly on 18th November 2009 but teams played 2-2 draw with Germany leading 1-0 at half time.
Both teams are known for playing robust physical football which was reduced in Toronto with 5 foul calls to Germany and 7 to Ivory Coast with no yellow or red card.
Germany dominated stats wise with 16-9 shots at goal making 7-2 shots on target; Germany controlled the game with 55-45% ball possession stringing a brilliant 591-413 passes and failing to take advantage of a 8-3 corner kicks advantage because of the resilience of the Ivorien defenders who form Elephants wall of defence each time.
In the first games of group E, the German Machine played a highly computerised game browsing debutante Curaco 7-1 while The Elephants nipped Ecuador by a lone goal. Struggling Ecuador plays Curaco at 1am on Sunday morning on redemption tunes. Japan meets Tunisia in group F at 5am Nigerian time.
Germany has thus qualified for the knockout rounds from this group E topping the group as at now with full 6 points scoring 9 goals and conceding 2; Ivory Coast is 2nd with 3 points scoring 2 goals and conceding 2; Ecuador with only a match played as at the time of filing this report is 3rd with no point, no goal but a goal against while Curaco also with a match lies at the bottom with no point, no goal and 7 goals conceded.
Group E games will close on 25th June when football pundits believe Germany will again subdue Ecuador and Ivory Coast will still break their world cup record that stopped them each tournament at group stages by walloping Curaco.
Three times African champions in 1992, 2015 and 2093 Ivory Coast are at their 4th appearances at the mundial but we’re always booted out at the group stages in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
The German Machines were four times world champions in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014.
Nigerians who dialsappointed the world by not qualifying for the mundial are not interested in progress of the other African countries like that of South Africa who are on the brim of being booted out of the tournament.
Patmos Media Line gathered that the South Africans have packed their bags ready to go home blaming their low performances on “an unusual lack of support from fellow Africans who are calling us Xenophobic team”.
Africans all over the world as reported in the international media wants the Bafana Bafana team of South Africa to go back early to their jobs and wives.
South African Justice Minister had said the Xenophobic attack by allegedly misguided South Africans has affected their economy gruesomely as many organisations and shops are shut down because of lack of enough human capacity.
#2026WorldCup #Eufa #CAF
#DFB #FIF #NFF.
—
