Well, that's one way to make a comeback. After a 12-year hiatus from the World Cup, Ivory Coast decided their return needed a dramatic flourish: a 90th-minute goal from substitute Amad Diallo that secured a 1-0 win over Ecuador.
Because apparently, if you're going to wait over a decade, you might as well make everyone sweat until the very last possible moment. The Manchester United winger's left-footed shot from inside the penalty area left Ecuador's goalkeeper Hernan Galindez with absolutely no chance.
Diallo, who came off the bench in the 56th minute, was set up by a blistering run down the right side from Wilfried Singo. Just to add to the tension, both teams had already rattled the crossbar three times before Diallo finally found the back of the net. Because why make it easy?
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Start Your News DetoxThis victory marks Ivory Coast's fourth World Cup appearance, and their first since 2014. It’s a massive step towards their first-ever knockout stage berth, which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying for their opponents.
Before Diallo's heroics, the game was a festival of near misses. Elye Wahi hit the crossbar for Ivory Coast in the 52nd minute. Not to be outdone, Ecuador's John Yeboah and Nilson Angulo both pinged the woodwork in the first half. It seems the goal frame was working overtime.
Ecuador, making their fifth World Cup appearance, had the majority of the 68,274 fans at Lincoln Financial Field decked out in their yellow shirts. They played strongly, with their best chance post-halftime coming in the 68th minute when Gonzalo Plata's rocket shot was expertly saved by Yahia Fofana.
Ivory Coast's defense has been a brick wall, not conceding a single goal in their 10 qualifying matches (a tidy 8-0-2 record). They'll need that resilience when they face four-time World Cup champions Germany on June 20, who just dispatched Curacao 7-1. Ecuador will also play Curacao on the same day. Let's see if Ivory Coast can keep the drama — and the wins — coming.
