Germany face first real World Cup test against Ivory Coast’s ‘express train’ Diomande

One name on every Germany player’s mind is Ivory Coast winger c, whose meteoric rise in the Bundesliga has seen him emerge as the biggest threat to the four-time world champions when they face the African nation in the World Cup on Saturday.

The Group E match in Toronto will be the first real test for Germany, who crushed minnows Curacao 7-1 in their opener on Sunday and are now on a 10-game winning run, but they are well aware of what is up next.

Their defence will have to stop the powerful 19-year-old Diomande if they are to make it two wins in a row and advance to the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time since 2014.

The teenager scored his first professional goal just 13 months ago when he was playing for Leganes in Spain and got his breakthrough with a move to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga in July 2025.

He racked up 12 Bundesliga goals and eight assists in his first season with the German club and has become a major transfer target for top European sides.

“He has had a brutal development. A year ago hardly anyone knew him,” Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said.

“He just had an outstanding season even though Leipzig had some problems. He was consistent and very spectacular. His dribbling is exceptional with this start-stop dribbling, with extreme acceleration. Amazing speed. A very good player.”

Diomande’s pace, creativity and goal-scoring abilities helped Leipzig to a third-placed finish and a Champions League spot.

Germany, who won their last World Cup title 12 years ago in Brazil, suffered shock first-round exits both in the 2018 and the 2022 editions, their worst record in the competition’s history. They are desperate this time to seal their knockout spot as quickly as possible.

While Germany easily won their opener, the Ivorians needed a late winner to edge past Ecuador 1-0 and join the Germans on three points, second only on goal difference.

Also in Group E, Ecuador face Curacao in Kansas City on Saturday (early hours Sunday SA time) knowing that even at this early stage of the World Cup, the stakes are already rising sharply for both sides after opening-day defeats.

Drawn alongside Germany and the Ivory Coast in Group E, Ecuador arrived at the tournament as one of South America’s more quietly fancied teams, built on defensive discipline.

But their campaign began with frustration, a 1-0 defeat by the Ivory Coast in which they created chances but lacked the cutting edge to convert them.

For Curacao, this match represents another step in what is already a remarkable World Cup journey.

The Caribbean nation, with a population of around 156,000, is the smallest country ever to reach the tournament and arrived at the finals unbeaten in a remarkable qualifying run.

Their debut against four-time champions Germany, however, was a harsh introduction, ending in a 7-1 thrashing despite a moment of history when they scored their first World Cup goal.

In Group F on Saturday, Sweden head into their clash against the Netherlands in Houston flying high after producing their best World Cup scoring performance in 88 years, while the Dutch aim to regain confidence following a disappointing opening draw.

A victory would put the Swedes — who thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their opener — through to the knockout rounds in a reversal of fortunes for a team that only qualified for the tournament via the European playoffs.

The Dutch were undefeated in qualifying for the tournament but an unsatisfying 2-2 draw with Japan raised questions about whether coach Ronald Koeman got his tactics right when reverting to a defensive set-up late in the match before conceding in the 89th minute.

After sometimes playing too passively against Japan, the Dutch know they require a vastly improved performance against a Sweden side revitalised under English coach Graham Potter and brimming with confidence after scoring their most goals in a World Cup game since 1938.

The Netherlands have dangerous players such as Cody Gakpo, Frenkie de Jong and Denzel Dumfries, who can provide the danger that was missing against Japan.

One concern is whether the Netherlands’ all-time top goal-scorer Memphis Depay, who came off the bench but failed to make an impact, can shake off recent thigh trouble to offer pace and guile to break down a compact Sweden defence.

“Memphis is almost ready,” Koeman said following the Japan match. “I can feel he’s coming, and then I put him on the pitch, but we couldn’t attack anymore.

“I’m aware that we need to play better.”

Sweden enter the game in Houston knowing another win puts them in a position to finish top of the group under Potter, who took over last October and guided the team to the World Cup.

Potter, who replaced a riskier attacking style with a more pragmatic system with five defenders, will also be buoyed that the duo of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres each scored against Tunisia and look to be firing on all cylinders.

There were lots of positives for us in terms of stability. It was a good night to start the tournament. It’s a good start but that’s all it is. We face a different opponent in the next game

—  Sweden coach Graham Potter

They will play a key role in probing a Dutch backline anchored by captain Virgil van Dijk, who scored against Japan but looked less confident when defending.

Yasin Ayari scored a brace for Sweden in the opener and will also give the Netherlands more food for thought, but it was Isak and Gyokeres who posed the main threats as they both created a host of chances beyond their goals.

“There were lots of positives for us in terms of stability. It was a good night to start the tournament,” Potter said. “It’s a good start but that’s all it is. We face a different opponent in the next game.”

Tunisia will throw new coach Hervé Renard straight into the deep end when they face Japan (early housr of Sunday in SA) in Monterrey, with the North Africans desperately needing points after their tournament got off to a nightmare start.

The French coach has barely had time to settle into his new role after being rushed in to replace the sacked Sabri Lamouchi, who paid the price for Tunisia’s crushing 5-1 opening defeat to Sweden.

Now Renard must somehow galvanise his shell-shocked squad against opponents he readily admits will be no pushovers.

“I know very well the quality of this team,” he said. “Japan are the best team in Asia.”

The four-time Asian champions lived up to that billing in their tournament opener, showing resilience to fight back twice and snatch a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Sunday in Dallas.

Coming World Cup matches

Friday:

• Group D: US v Australia, Seattle (9pm)

Saturday:

• Group C: Scotland v Morocco, Boston (12am)
• Group C: Brazil v Haiti, Philadelphia (2.30am)
• Group D: Turkey v Paraguay, San Francisco (5am)
• Group F: Netherlands v Sweden, Houston (7pm)
• Group E: Germany v Ivory Coast, Toronto (10pm)

Sunday:

• Group E: Ecuador v Curacao, Kansas City (2am)
• Group F: Tunisia v Japan, Monterrey (6am)
• Group H: Spain v Saudi Arabia, Atlanta (6pm)
• Group G: Belgium v Iran, Los Angeles (9pm)
• Group H: Uruguay v Cape Verde, Miami (12am Monday morning)

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