Ivory Coast secured a place in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history with a 2-0 victory over Curaçao in Philadelphia on Thursday, a result that guaranteed second spot in Group E behind Germany. Two goals from Nicolas Pepe settled a match the Ivorians controlled, and the final whistle triggered celebrations that marked the end of a long wait: in three previous tournament appearances, the Elephants had never advanced beyond the group stage.

The achievement, however, was quickly overshadowed by a controversy that had been simmering since the eve of their group-stage meeting with Germany. Speaking as a television analyst for German broadcaster ARD before that match on 20 June, former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger characterised Ivory Coast’s playing style as “a bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics.” After the Curaçao win, Ivorian coach Emerse Fae was asked about those remarks and did not hide his dismay. “I think it’s sad,” Fae said. “Schweinsteiger was a very good player; I have always loved him as a midfielder. When I heard his comments, I was disappointed in the man. It is odd he would speak that way. We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade.”

Fae’s words landed in a German media landscape already debating the former Bayern Munich and Manchester United player’s language. Commentator Patrick Schnitzler wrote on social media that the remarks revealed “racist prejudices that we unconsciously perpetuate,” while journalist Philipp Awounou argued in Der Spiegel that the characterisation repeated stereotypes rooted in the colonial era, though he stopped short of labelling Schweinsteiger personally racist. Jürgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager attending the tournament, declined to be drawn when asked about the subject in New York, calling it “a serious subject” and adding, “I don’t even know what is appropriate to say.”

The Ivorian coach tempered his criticism by suggesting the comments might have been a clumsy attempt to generate attention in a new broadcasting career. “Nowadays there are a lot of analysts and former players who also seek to create a buzz,” Fae said. “He was a world star but he has been a bit forgotten, so he is trying to create a buzz.” He insisted the best response would come on the pitch, where his team had already shown that “African teams are not just physical, we are technical and tactical.” Schweinsteiger, a 2014 World Cup winner, has not publicly addressed the backlash.

Ivory Coast will face either France or Norway in the round of 32 on 30 June in Arlington, Texas, a fixture that now carries an extra layer of narrative weight as the Ivorians seek to continue dismantling the stereotypes their coach so forcefully rejected.