Ivory Coast made no secret of their stated aims ahead of their second FIFA World Cup game against Germany on Saturday: beat Germany in Toronto and secure top spot in Group E. It was so close to coming true.
Ultimately, they fell short 2-1 at the last, but a bright, vibrant, committed display from this youthful Ivorian future bodes well for the country's long-term future, and for their World Cup prospects to come.
The Elephants took the early lead on the day, Franck Kessié finishing from close range after Amad Diallo's initial shot had been blocked on 30 minutes.
Germany then took control in the later stages, Deniz Undav equalising on 68 minutes after Nadiem Amiri's cross evaded Odilon Kossounou, before netting an emphatic 93rd-minute winner as the four-time winners secured their passage to the Last 32.
It was a late heartbreak for the Elephants, whose game management had been largely admirable during the final portion of the match, knowing when to slow things down, knowing when to clear the danger, knowing when to buy a foul, and knowing when to pick their moments to put pressure back on Germany.
They clearly tired though, as Germany found a way back into the game, while substitute Simon Adingra will rue his own late missed effort when his control let him down with the goal at his mercy.
However, despite the loss, the Elephants are still in a strong position with one game still to play in the group.
With three points already in the bag after their opening 1-0 victory over Ecuador, and minnows Curacao still to come in their third fixture, Ivory Coast are still well placed to advance to the knockouts for the first time in their history.
Heading into the tournament, the squad selected by Fae was the youngest in the entire competition, with an average age of 25.35, however, it wasn't immediately clear what kind of opportunity some of the team's younger heads would get at the World Cup.
Against Germany, he reshuffled his pack following the Ecuador win and, surprisingly against such accomplished, heavyweight opponents, opted to turn to youth to navigate the Elephants' toughest challenge of the group stage.
It was 19-year-old Yan Diomande, fast emerging as the team's star man, who kept his place out wide, although Fae switched the winger over to the left flank, introducing Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo (23) on the right.
It pitted the pace, dribbling and directness of Diomande up against 31-year-old Joshua Kimmich, and while the Ivorian wonderkid impressed in one-on-one situations , notably in the build-up to the goal, his passing and touches let him down at times.
Germany eventually put two players on the winger late in the first half, and his impact reduced, but this was yet another high-profile performance that will boost the teenager's standing, even though some of the rough edges were evident.
While Diomande is an undisputed starter in this team, elsewhere, Fae made two more surprising picks which demonstrated his faith in youth and the outstanding new talent coming through.
Former France youth international Ange-Yoan Bonny was a surprising inclusion in the World Cup squad, having switched his international allegiance, and only made his competitive debut for the Elephants as a second-half substitute against Ecuador.
The Germany match was a heavyweight clash for his first competitive start, with Bonny presumably benefiting from Elye Wahi's troubled build-up to the match.
He immediately appeared to be an upgrade on the OGC forward, demonstrating his in-game intelligence, astute movement and refined technique, while showing little of the nerves that one might expect from a 22-year-old in this context.
At 6'2, he has the presence to be a lone centre-forward for this Ivorian side, but must demonstrate -- for both club and country -- that he can add goals to his game consistently.
Finally, the biggest call of the lot for Fae, was starting 20-year-old Christ Inao Oulaï at the base of the midfield ahead of the more experienced Seko Fofana.
Whether it was evidence of a fitness concern for Fofana, or a purely tactical switch, it was a remarkable show of faith in wonderkid Oulai, and he didn't disappoint.
Indeed, the Trabzonspor may be rivalling Morocco's Ayyoub Bouadi for the title of Africa's breakout midfielder of the tournament on the evidence of this performance as he looked utterly composed, was relentless in his running for the Elephants, and made eight key defensive contributions during the course of the midfield battle.
He created one goalscoring opportunity, succeeded with 90-percent of his attempted passes but, most impressively, took more touches (73) than any other Ivorian player on the pitch.
This young midfielder, who already caught the eye at the Africa Cup of Nations after being given an early opportunity to impress by Fae, bought the energy and dynamism needed to complement Kessie and Ibrahim Sangaré, while his ability to drive forward with the ball, even when under pressure from several German players, was outstanding.
As had been the case with Bouaddi against Brazil, this was not the kind of midfield masterclass we would typically expect from one so young, and the Yopougon-born starlet could feasibly anchor down a spot in the Elephants' midfield for well over a decade to come.
So, the Ivorians fell short against Germany -- in terms of the win, and in terms of qualification for now -- but Fae proved, with an adventurous, youthful lineup, that the Elephants have the quality to not only advance to the Last 32 and beyond, but set the West Africans up for golden era in international football.