PHILADELPHIA — Côte d’Ivoire winger Yan Diomande said his team haven’t come to the World Cup simply to make up the numbers after they struck late to beat Ecuador 1-0 in their opening match.
Diomande was a lively presence in attack for Ivory Coast in Philadelphia, where Manchester United’s Amad Diallo scored a 90th-minute winner after coming off the bench.
“It’s always great to start with a win to help with the confidence,” said Diomande, who has attracted interest from a number of Europe’s top clubs after an excellent season with RB Leipzig.
“We know Ecuador is a big team. We had to be patient and wait for our opportunity and we got the goal.”
The West Africans are appearing at their fourth World Cup but the first since 2014. They have never made it past the group stage but are well placed to do so with games still to come against Germany and Curacao.
“We haven’t come here just to be part of it all. We want to make history,” said Diomande.
He will face some familiar faces when the Ivorians take on four-time World Cup winners Germany, packed with Bundesliga stars, in Toronto on June 20. Germany thrashed Curacao 7-1 to open their account on Sunday.
“We’ll do everything we can to win the next match,” said Diomande.
“We know that playing against Germany is a tough game and they are one of the biggest teams in the world. We’re waiting for them, but the most important thing is to stay calm and be humble,” he added according to AFP.
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae credited his side for the way in which they overcame their World Cup nerves as they rode their luck in the first half when Ecuador twice hit the bar.
“The players were a bit on edge. It was a first World Cup for everyone, so there was a bit of tension. They were afraid to take risks,” said Fae, who guided the Elephants to an Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil two years ago.
“We managed to hold on and dig in,” he added.
“In the second half we were a lot more focused… and we have attacking players who can make the difference at any moment.”
The loss snapped a 19-match unbeaten run for Ecuador dating back to September.
“It’s difficult to start with a loss,” admitted captain Enner Valencia.
“This squad has a history of coming through difficult situations. This will be just another one. I’m sure we’ll pull through.”
