Amad Diallo scored a winner in the 90th minute to help Ivory Coast earn a 1-0 win over Ecuador in World Cup Group E on Sunday.
Wilfried Singo surged down the right flank and delivered a pass into the box for substitute Amad, who calmly guided the ball into the far corner from the edge of the area.
The match was full of chances. Ecuador came close twice in the first half, with John Yeboah and Alan Minda both hitting the crossbar. Ivory Coast also struck the woodwork when Elye Wahi rattled the bar after being set up by teenage winger Yan Diomande, who was the standout performer on the pitch.
Ecuador saw their impressive 19-match unbeaten run, stretching back to September 2024, come to an end. However, they can feel unlucky after missing several good chances in an entertaining and evenly contested match.
“The game slipped away from us,” midfielder Moises Caicedo said. “We played well, and they (Ivory Coast) gave it their all too.
“It’s tough to start off on the back foot, but this is just the beginning. We can’t let our spirits drop, and there are two more finals coming up. We’re going to bounce back.
“We’re leaving sad because we couldn’t bring joy to the fans who came out. It felt we were playing in Guayaquil, Quito. But we’ll fight until the end to bring them joy.”
Yeboah was the first to come close, smashing a shot from outside the box against the crossbar. Shortly after, Minda latched onto a pass from Pedro Vite, beat the goalkeeper, but saw his effort bounce off the bar as well.
Diomande caused problems throughout the game with his pace and dribbling. He created a great chance for himself after beating two defenders but fired over the bar.
Ivory Coast then came close when Diomande picked out Wahi inside the box, but the striker’s effort crashed against the crossbar.
As the game looked set to end goalless, substitute Amad stepped up and calmly scored the winner.
