Manchester United’s Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute as Ivory Coast beat Ecuador and their huge support 1-0 in a hard-fought World Cup opener on Sunday.
It looked as if the Group E tie would end 0-0, which was no surprise given Ecuador’s incredible defensive record during qualifying, and this result could have suited both teams.
But 23-year-old Diallo, who was introduced in place of Bazoumana Touré shortly before the hour mark, had other ideas as he finished first-time from a right-wing cross as the game headed towards injury time.
This is Ivory Coast’s first win at the World Cup in exactly 12 years, since they defeated Japan in Brazil 2014, and they can now be confident of making the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time.
It was a disappointing start for Ecuador, with most of the 68,274 spectators at a packed Philadelphia Stadium wearing yellow and supporting them.
They hit the bar twice in the first half through John Yeboah and Alan Minda, while Eli Wahi hit the same crossbar for the Ivorians after half time.