PHILADELPHIA — Manchester United’s Amad Diallo struck in the 90th minute as Côte d’Ivoire stunned Ecuador and their huge support to edge a tight affair 1-0 in their World Cup opener.
The Group E encounter had looked set to finish 0-0, hardly a surprise given Ecuador’s incredible defensive record during qualifying, and that result may well have suited both teams.
But the 23-year-old Diallo, who had been introduced in place of Bazoumana Toure shortly before the hour mark, had other ideas as he finished first-time from a right-wing cross right just as the game was heading for injury time.
It is Côte d’Ivoire’s first win at a World Cup in exactly 12 years, since they beat Japan in Brazil in 2014, and they can now be confident of making the knockout phase at the tournament for the first time.
It was a disappointing way to start for Ecuador, who had the majority of the 68,274 crowd at the packed Philadelphia stadium kitted out in yellow and backing them.
They hit the bar twice in the first half, through John Yeboah and Alan Minda, while Elye Wahi struck the same crossbar for the Ivorians after half-time.
Côte d’Ivoire, African champions in 2024, will now hope to build on this when they play Germany in their next game in Group E in Toronto on Saturday.
The Ecuadorians will look to bounce back when they head to Kansas City the same day to play Curacao, the debutant minnows who were hammered 7-1 by Germany earlier in Houston.
Ecuador, coached by Argentinian Sebastian Beccacece, had a remarkable record in South American qualifying as they finished second behind Argentina, AFP reported.
With a defence marshalled by Paris Saint-Germain’s Willian Pacho and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo patrolling the midfield, they conceded a miserly five goals in 18 qualifying games, but scored only 14.
Remarkably, eight of their 18 matches ended in 0-0 draws, and six featured a single goal.
Côte d’Ivoire was nevertheless confident of causing their opponents problems with exciting young RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande a danger on the flanks and recent French-born recruit Wahi leading the line.
A match watched by US rap mogul Jay-Z was cagey at times but came to life midway through the first half as the frame of the goal was rattled for the first time.
Yeboah, the former German youth international who plays in Italy’s Serie B for Venezia, pounced on uncertain defending at the edge of the box and crashed a shot off Yahia Fofana’s bar.
Côte d’Ivoire goal was living a charmed life as Ecuador struck the woodwork again on the half-hour mark, Pedro Vite slipping in Minda to be denied this time.
Emerse Fae’s Ivorians looked dangerous intermittently, notably when Nicolas Pepe was denied by a last-ditch challenge after Diomande had raced away from Piero Hincapie.
The Elephants had never reached the World Cup knockout phase in their three previous appearances but surely knew a win here would practically secure their passage to the next round.
Wahi, who finished the club season at Nice in France, turned a Diomande cross from the right onto the bar shortly after the restart.
Seko Fofana forced a save from Hernan Galindez in the Ecuador goal, but the match seemed to be petering out to a goalless conclusion until the late drama.
Wilfried Singo went on a rampaging run from defence down the Ivorian right, before delivering a low centre for Diallo to score with a sidefoot finish, and silence the Ecuador support.
