World Cup: Amad Diallo scores as Ivory Coast down Ecuador in late show
Amad Diallo scored a late winner as Ivory Coast became the first African nation to record a victory at the 2026 World Cup, following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Ecuador on Monday, June 15, 2026.
The Elephants took the lead late on thanks to fine work off the flank by Wilfried Singo, who raced down almost the entire length of the right wing before cutting back to the Manchester United ace.
Match winner
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Diallo calmly side-footed the layoff past the Ecuadorian goalkeeper to stun the South American nation, sparking frantic celebrations from the sea of orange-clad Côte d’Ivoire fans. The winger had come off the bench in the 56th minute and made a massive impact, netting the first goal of the tournament for the West African giants.
This goal also continued Diallo’s impressive form leading into the tournament; he was previously on the scoresheet to bag the match-winner in a stunning pre-World Cup friendly victory against France days earlier.
Group E advantage
The Ivorians open their Group E campaign with a narrow but vital victory that places them second in the group, trailing Germany, who claimed a massive 7-1 win over Curaçao in the other group fixture.
The clash featured a high-profile midfield battle of current and former English Premier League stars, with Moises Caicedo becoming the first Chelsea player to feature at the 2026 edition. In a frantic opening half-hour filled with chances, Ecuador completely dominated transitions and struck the crossbar twice through John Yeboah and Alan Minda.
Elye Wahi suffered the same fate for the Africans in the second half, rattling the woodwork after being set up by Yan Diomande.
The latter, an electric 19-year-old winger, was named the Man of the Match, continuing the superb trend of youngsters taking this World Cup stage by storm.
Up against Arsenal loanee Piero Hincapié, the RB Leipzig winger averaged one big chance created, five key passes, and an 80% pass accuracy alongside two shots, marking a dominant display for Emerse Faé’s side.
