Manchester United winger Amad Diallo has called on Côte d’Ivoire to remain focused after scoring the decisive goal in their 1-0 victory over Ecuador at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The Elephants began their campaign on a winning note at Philadelphia Stadium, edging a fiercely contested encounter that looked destined to end in a stalemate.
Both sides struck the woodwork four times in an entertaining contest packed with tension and missed opportunities. With the match heading towards a goalless draw, Amad emerged as the hero, expertly guiding a shot into the bottom corner after coming off the bench to seal all three points.
The late winner sparked jubilant scenes among the Ivorian players and supporters, but Amad insisted the team must quickly shift its attention to the challenges ahead.
“We needed that. We came here to make history. We still have two more matches ahead of us, and we need to approach them with the same mentality and try to win them,” Amad was quoted by FIFA.com.
The forward acknowledged the physical challenge posed by Ecuador and praised his side’s composure under pressure.
“We had to stay focused. We knew it was going to be a difficult match because we know the Ecuadorian players, they’re physically very strong. They caused us problems, of course, but we stayed composed and remained focused.”
The result leaves Côte d’Ivoire second in Group E behind Germany, who opened their tournament with a commanding 7-1 victory over World Cup debutants Curaçao.
Attention now turns to a crucial clash against the former world champions at Toronto Stadium on Saturday, 20 June, with the West Africans aiming to build on their promising start and strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
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