The coach of the African national team, Emers Faye, reacted sharply to the statement of the former German national team in favor of his team's playing style.
The historic success of the Cote d'Ivoire team at the 2026 World Cup was soon overshadowed by a media scandal. The head coach of the Ivorians, Emers Faye, publicly condemned the comments of the hugely successful German national team player Bastian Schweinsteiger, admitting that the stench was dictated by long-standing practices and could be considered racist.
The incident occurred on the 20th of June, before the group stage match between Germany and Cote d'Ivoire (which ended with the Germans defeating the Germans 2:1). Acting as a football expert on the German television channel ARD, Schweinsteiger specifically characterized the African team:.
" We must be prepared to the point that we will be invincible,” the world champion said..
After defeating Curacao with a 2:0 defeat at Philadelphia, which guaranteed Cote d'Ivoire another place in Group E, Emers Faye is on top of the list. The mentor realized that Schweinsteiger’s words became especially disappointing for him.
" Schweinsteiger is a very good driver; I have always loved him as a drunkard and those who understand football. When I sensed your comments, I was disappointed with this person. It's amazing that he should say that. We could call it racism, as if we were calling speeches by their proper names,” Kermanich told journalists.
Faye emphasizes that current African football is based not only on physical data:.
“I have no other decision other than how to deal with speeches that stink. All I can show is that on the field African teams are not just physically strong, they are technically savvy and tactically strong,” he added..
The Ivorian coach also noted that this was more of an “unbreakable affirmation” and not a conscious position, admitting that such comments could have been made for the sake of respect for the third party.. Schweinsteiger's words quickly resonated with the German media.
Other football figures are trying to distance themselves from the scandal. Liverpool's current manager Jurgen Klopp, escaping from the press in New York, was categorically pleased to comment on the situation:.
" No, no, I have no chance of confirmation on the food chain. Everyone deserves this, but you brought me to this situation. This is not my work, so we all should, but this is a serious topic, and I really don’t know what to say. For Africans it’s one thing, for other people it’s completely different, but there’s nothing left for me.”.
In the wake of the scandal and defeat in Nimechtina, the collection of Cote d'Ivoire ended its headache. After the victory over Ecuador and Curacao, the team settled in another place near Quartet E. Ahead of Emers Faye's team is the first match in the history of the region in the 1/16 final of the World Championship. The game will be on the 30th of hearts in Arlington (Texas), and the rival of the elephants will be defeating another group - a team from France or Norway.