Ivory Coast marked their return to the FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Ecuador after substitute Amad Diallo scored a late winner in their Group E opener in Philadelphia.
The encounter appeared headed for a goalless draw before Amad struck in the 90th minute, calmly finishing off a well-worked move initiated by Wilfried Singo to hand the Elephants a crucial opening-day victory.
The defeat brought an end to Ecuador’s impressive 19-match unbeaten run, which had lasted nearly two years.
Ecuador created several chances throughout the contest but were repeatedly denied by bad luck and resilient defending. John Yeboah, Alan Minda and captain Enner Valencia all hit the woodwork as the South Americans struggled to find a breakthrough.
Ivory Coast also threatened, with Elye Wahi striking the crossbar early in the second half, while goalkeeper Yahia Fofana produced a number of key saves to keep Ecuador at bay.
Speaking after the match, Amad said the team remains determined to make a significant impact at the tournament.
“We came here to make history. We still have two more matches ahead of us, and we need to approach them with the same mentality and try to win them,” he said.
The victory puts Ivory Coast in a strong position in Group E ahead of their next fixture against Germany, while Ecuador will look to bounce back when they face Curaçao in their second group game.
