Ivory Coast manager Emerse Fae has said his side have shown they deserve a place in the knockout phase of the World Cup as they prepare for Thursday’s decisive Group E clash against Curacao.
The African side opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Ecuador before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Germany, despite leading before conceding twice in the second half.
Speaking on Wednesday ahead of the final group game, Fae said Ivory Coast must reproduce the same level of discipline and intensity they showed in their opening two matches.
He said: “I think the key is our ability to show the same seriousness, the same mindset, the same intensity that we showed against Ecuador and Germany.
“I think that if we respect our opponent and perform well in these different areas I just mentioned, I think we’ll have a chance of qualifying for the round of 32.”
The Ivorian coach also moved to protect Simon Adingra after the forward missed a late chance against Germany before Deniz Undav struck the stoppage-time winner.
Fae insisted the miss had not affected his confidence in the player.
He said: “Simon missed an opportunity like any football player.
“Personally, I don’t blame him at all for that. And that’s what I told him. That’s what I told the group.
“I said that, personally, I don’t have a particular problem with technical errors.
“The most important thing for me was that he got back to work. Because he’ll score more goals for Ivory Coast.
“He’ll miss others, too, unfortunately. But actually, this action hasn’t changed my confidence in Simon at all.”
Fae, however, declined to give an update on defender Wilfried Singo, who went off injured in the 82nd minute against Germany, although Ivory Coast’s federation later said post-match examinations were encouraging.
Looking ahead to Curacao, the Ivory Coast coach said his side would not underestimate an opponent still in contention after bouncing back from a heavy opening defeat.
He said: “This is a team that, after a 7-1 defeat against Germany, managed to find the mental strength to draw against Ecuador.
“They’re a very aggressive team.
“They have forwards who are capable of making a difference individually.
“They play with a lot of teamwork.
“We’re expecting a tough match tomorrow, like all World Cup matches, especially since their draw against Ecuador still gives them a chance to qualify for the second round.”
