Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed satisfaction following his team's gritty comeback victory against Ivory Coast on Saturday, but signaled that the four-time champions are focused on much larger goals than merely reaching the knockout stage.

While the win secures Germany’s place in the round of 32—breaking a cycle of early exits that haunted the team in both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022—Nagelsmann remains firmly fixed on the tournament ahead.

"We have high ambitions," Nagelsmann stated when asked by AFP if the qualification milestone warranted a celebration.

"The most important topic for us is to focus on the next step." Reflecting on the performance that finally snapped a streak of recent World Cup disappointment, he added, "This is exactly what we hoped for and I'm very happy for my team."

The victory was secured in dramatic fashion thanks to a second-half brace from substitute Deniz Undav, whose clinical finishing proved the difference against a resilient Ivory Coast side.

When questioned on whether Undav’s heroics earned him a starting spot for the final group match against Ecuador, Nagelsmann acknowledged the forward's impact while noting his effectiveness in his current role.

"I could have him in the starting lineup," the coach said. "I think that every player would love to be in the starting lineup, but I think he's very happy as it is right now."

Ivory Coast had initially taken the lead through a first-half goal from Franck Kessie, but the African side spent much of the second half absorbing relentless pressure as the German offense surged.

Despite the loss, Ivory Coast remains in a favorable position to reach their first-ever World Cup knockout round if they secure a win against Curacao next week.

Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae remained optimistic about his squad's trajectory despite the narrow defeat. "We still have everything to play for," Fae said.

"I'm really happy with the performance of my players during these 90 minutes... I think we had two teams that deserve to win. Our primary objective is to get out of the group phase."

Source: AFP