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Ivory Coast's Simon Adingra draws strong criticism for costly mistake vs Germany
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- Ivory Coast's Simon Adingra draws strong criticism for costly mistake vs Germany
The Ivory Coast had a chance to pick up a massive victory against Germany in their second match of Group E, only to see it slip away on a costly error in the final minutes.
They struck early against Germany , seizing a 1-0 lead on a Franck Kessie goal 30 minutes into the first half, and then held off their opponents to take the lead into halftime.
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In the second half they continued to prevent the Germans from scoring until Deniz Undav finally found the net in the 68th-minute to tie things up.
The game felt as if it might end in a draw, but Ivory Coast gained momentum down the pitch and seemed in a key position to break the 1-1 tie when then things fell apart.
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TORONTO, ONTARIO – JUNE 20: Simon Adingra #10 of Cote d'Ivoire shows dejection after the team's 1-2 defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Germany and Cote D'Ivoire at Toronto Stadium on June 20, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Nicolas Pepe sped towards the goal before passing it across to his teammate Simon Adingra in what looked like the ideal set-up for a game-winning goal near in the final minutes of the second half.
However, Adingra hesitated and instead of kicking towards the goal, awkwardly sent the ball out towards the sideline. Germany recovered the ball in a momentum-killing spot in the game and ended up being the team to break the tie as Undav scored his second goal of the game in extra time for a heroic performance to lead the team to a 2-1 victory and take the Group E lead.
Adingra's decision and major mistake drew criticism from fans online who reacted to the various X highlight clips of that disastrous Ivory Coast miscue.
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"Ah! You have to take that shot first touch. Whether it gets blocked, or you sail it wide or over, you HAVE to take that shot," a commenter wrote.
Another commenter said, "I know players want the perfect shot but there wasn't a better opening than that."
"This dude was calling for the pass all the way down the pitch and had ZERO clue what to do once he got it," someone said in the X comments.
"I'm not the biggest soccer fan, but I thought the object was to try to kick it in when you're that close," someone said of Adingra's mistake.
After seizing a victory in their opener, the Ivory Coast had a significant opportunity here to capitalize and pick up a big win on a German team that dominated Curacao . However, Adingra appeared to get frazzled by the spotlight and his nerves got the best of him.
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As it stands, his team is currently second in Group E with a 1-1 record and three points. However, their position could change depending on the outcome of Ecuador and Curacao's matchup on Saturday night.
Next up for the Ivory Coast is a matchup with Curacao on Thursday, June 25, while Germany will take on Ecuador, also on Thursday.
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For more about the World Cup , head over to Newsweek Sports .
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