Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says his former team, England, can beat traditional rival Germany in the round of 16 at the World Cup.

Eriksson coached England from 2001 to 2006, reaching two World Cup quarterfinals and overseeing a 5-1 victory over Germany in qualifying for the 2002 tournament.

England finished second in its group following a 1-0 win over Slovenia on Wednesday to set up another chapter in its World Cup rivalry with Germany.

"I think they can beat Germany," Eriksson said. "Why not?"

The Swedish coach, whose Ivory Coast side needs an unlikely combination of results to progress to the last 16, said he was impressed with England's performance against Slovenia.

"I saw their match and they qualified. They played well, especially in the first half."

Eriksson smiled as he looked ahead to the England-Germany game. "It's a big game," he said. "A huge game."

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