Demel: Côte d'Ivoire can trouble Germany, we'll play differently against them

According to Bild, Côte d'Ivoire's morale is high after their 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their opening FIFA World Cup match. Assistant coach and former star Demel stated in an interview that Côte d'Ivoire will adopt a different playing style against Germany and is confident of causing problems for their opponents.

Côte d'Ivoire had a winning start to this FIFA World Cup. Approximately two and a half hours after the first-round match concluded, the team's players passed through the players' tunnel and mixed zone of the Philadelphia World Cup stadium. Despite a delay in their departure due to a strong thunderstorm, the relaxed atmosphere following the victory was evident. Lively African music played on the sound system, and the players were in good spirits. However, on their way to the team bus, most of the Côte d'Ivoire players did not grant interviews. The only one to speak to Bild was assistant coach Demel. The 45-year-old former Hamburg and Dortmund player discussed the upcoming match against Germany next Saturday.

Speaking about Germany, Demel said: "Before our match against Ecuador, Germany played very well against Curaçao, and they are one of the strongest teams in this tournament. Therefore, winning the first match was very important for us."

Regarding the upcoming match, Demel revealed that Côte d'Ivoire will adjust their tactics to face Germany: "We will play this match differently. We are capable of causing trouble for Germany."

Speaking about the team's recent performance, Demel appeared quite proud. He believes that both defeating France and winning their opening FIFA World Cup match against Ecuador prove that Côte d'Ivoire deserves to be taken seriously and also addresses external prejudices against African football.

Demel said: "We have proven that African teams can also play football. I have heard some voices in Germany saying that we don't play well enough, and some TV presenters or experts hold similar views. They clearly don't know enough about African football."

Regarding the team's goal for this FIFA World Cup, Demel stated: "Our primary goal is to advance from the group stage, and now, we have taken a big step towards that goal."