India, June 26 -- Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae has strongly criticised former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, accusing him of making racist remarks about African football. Fae's response came after the Elephants secured a historic place in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time, beating Curacao 2-0 on Thursday. The controversy began ahead of Germany's group-stage clash with Ivory Coast, when Schweinsteiger, speaking on German broadcaster ARD, discussed what the German squad should expect from their African opponents.

Schweinsteiger offered his assessment of the African side, describing their style of play in remarks that later sparked a strong backlash from Ivory Coast head coach Fae.

"A bit African football, a...