Amad Diallo scores late as Ivory Coast beats Ecuador at World Cup

Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo celebrated with fans after scoring the late winner against Ecuador.

On Sunday, Manchester United’s Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute. This helped Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 in their World Cup opener. The match was tight, and it looked like it would end in a draw.

The Group E game was expected to finish 0-0. This was no surprise because of Ecuador’s strong defense during the qualifiers. A draw would have suited both teams well.

But 23-year-old Diallo changed the game. He came on for Bazoumana Toure just before the hour mark. He scored with a first-time finish from a right-wing cross as the game approached injury time.

This is Ivory Coast’s first World Cup win in 12 years. Their last win was against Japan in Brazil in 2014. They now feel confident about reaching the knockout stage for the first time.

Ecuador had a disappointing start. Most of the 68,274 fans at the Philadelphia stadium wore yellow to support them. They hit the bar twice in the first half, once through John Yeboah and once through Alan Minda. Ivory Coast’s Elye Wahi also hit the crossbar after half-time.

Ivory Coast, the African champions in 2024, hope to build on this success. Their next match in Group E is against Germany in Toronto on Saturday.

Ecuador will try to recover when they play Curacao in Kansas City on the same day. Curacao, the newcomers, lost 7-1 to Germany earlier in Houston.

Ecuador, coached by Argentinian Sebastian Beccacece, had a great qualifying run. They finished second behind Argentina. Their defense, led by Paris Saint-Germain’s Willian Pacho and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, conceded only five goals in 18 qualifying matches but scored just 14.

Surprisingly, eight out of their 18 matches ended in 0-0 draws, and six had only a single goal.

Ivory Coast was ready to challenge Ecuador with their young talent. RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande posed a threat on the flanks, and Wahi, who was born in France, led the attack.

The game was tense at times. US rap mogul Jay-Z watched as the match picked up midway through the first half. Yeboah, a former German youth international playing in Italy’s Serie B, took advantage of weak defending and hit the bar.

Ecuador came close again on the half-hour mark. Pedro Vite passed to Minda, who also failed to score. The Ivory Coast goal lived a charmed life.

Emerse Fae’s team looked dangerous at times. Nicolas Pepe almost scored but was stopped by a last-minute tackle after Diomande raced past Piero Hincapie.

The Elephants had never reached the knockout stage in their three previous World Cup appearances. They knew a win would almost guarantee their place in the next round.

Wahi hit the bar again shortly after the restart from a Diomande cross. Seko Fofana forced a save from Ecuador’s goalkeeper Hernan Galindez. The match seemed headed for a goalless draw until the late excitement.

Wilfried Singo made a strong run down the Ivorian right. He delivered a low cross for Diallo, who scored with a sidefoot finish, silencing the Ecuador fans.