Germany players celebrate after a 7-1 victory over Curaçao as Sweden, Ivory Coast and Japan also impress in their World Cup opening matches
Germany and Sweden delivered emphatic statements in their FIFA World Cup opening matches with dominant victories, while Ivory Coast and Japan also recorded important results in thrilling Group E and Group F encounters.
In Group E, Germany underlined their title ambitions with a commanding 7-1 victory over tournament debutants Curaçao. Felix Nmecha opened the scoring, but Curaçao briefly stunned the four-time champions when Livano Comenencia scored their first-ever World Cup goal.
Germany quickly regained control as Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (who scored twice), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav all got on the scoresheet. The result matched Germany’s famous 7-1 win over Brazil in 2014 and sent a strong warning to rivals.
Ivory Coast also began their campaign with a narrow but crucial 1-0 win over Ecuador. Amad Diallo struck in the 90th minute after a strong run from Wilfried Singo, ending Ecuador’s 19-match unbeaten run and securing three vital points for the Elephants.
In Group F, Sweden produced one of the most dominant performances of the round with a 5-1 win over Tunisia. Yasin Ayari scored twice, while Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres and substitute Mattias Svanberg also found the net in a powerful attacking display.
Japan earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in another exciting encounter. The Blue Samurai fought back twice, with Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada scoring to cancel out goals from Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville.
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After the opening round, Germany and Ivory Coast lead Group E with three points each, while Sweden top Group F. Japan and the Netherlands sit on one point apiece after an entertaining start to the tournament.
By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
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