AMAD Diallo netted a superb 90th-minute winner as Cote d’Ivoire defeated Ecuador 1-0 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup clash in Philadelphia in the early hours of today.
With the result, Cote d’Ivoire became the first African team to secure victory in this World Cup after South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia had all failed to record wins.
It was a stunning finish by the Manchester United forward as the substitute opened his left foot to divert the ball into the corner after a powerful run from Wilfried Singo – and it ended a 19-game unbeaten run stretching for almost two years for Ecuador.
Amad was a surprise exclusion from the Elephans’ starting line-up on their return to the World Cup for the first time in 12 years.
But he made a major impact with the winner which gives them a huge chance to qualify out of Group E – which also includes Germany and Curacao – and reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Ecuador hit the woodwork three times but could not find a breakthrough as John Yeboah and Alan Minda struck the bar in the first half.
Veteran striker Enner Valencia then hit the post from a tight angle in the second half for the South American side.
It looked like Ecuador, who had previously kept 12 clean sheets in 19 games under manager Sebastian Beccacece, had done enough to stifle Ivory Coast’s attack including star man Yan Diomande until Amad found the winner.
Meanwhile, Alexander Isak marked his first World Cup appearance with a trademark goal as Sweden thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their opening match of the tournament in Monterrey, Mexico.
The Liverpool forward – who has been hampered by injuries since completing a £125m move to Anfield in September – found the bottom corner with a thumping finish after a powerful run from the left on the half-hour mark.
The goal came after linking up with strike partner Viktor Gyokeres, with the Arsenal forward holding off his marker on the halfway line before laying the ball into the path of his fellow Premier League forward.
His strike doubled Sweden’s advantage after Yasin Ayari had rifled a shot into the top corner after seven minutes following a sloppy piece of defending from Tunisia.
The 22-year-old Brighton midfielder – who made his senior international debut while on loan at Coventry City in 2023 – refused to celebrate after becoming Sweden’s youngest World Cup scorer since Tomas Brolin in 1990, with his first international goal coming against the country of his father’s birth.
Tunisia halved the deficit two minutes before half-time when defender Omar Rekik headed home from Hannibal Mejbri’s free-kick.
But Sweden hit back when Isak turned provider – first for Gyokeres on the hour mark, then again 24 minutes later when substitute Mattias Svanberg scored the fastest goal by a substitute in World Cup history, just 12 seconds after coming on.
Ayari applied the gloss to a five-star performance by smashing home his second long-distance goal, and Sweden’s fifth, to send Graham Potter’s side top of Group F.
Earlier, Germany began their World Cup campaign with a thumping 7-1 victory over debutants Curacao in a match where history was made on several fronts and the one-sided result could not overshadow the occasion for the island nation.
Germany’s Felix Nmecha scored the fastest goal of the tournament so far after six minutes and Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (two), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav also netted in an easy outing for Julian Nagelsmann’s side.
But the biggest cheer from the 68,021 crowd came for Livano Comenencia’s 21st-minute equaliser for Curacao to score their first goal at a World Cup as they became the smallest nation by population size and area to play at the global finals.
Curacao’s sizeable support enjoyed their historic day out under Dick Advocaat, who became the oldest coach in World Cup history at the age of 78, and cheered to the end on an occasion perhaps most believed would never come.
Recalled goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is now also the oldest player to feature for Germany at a major tournament aged 40, beating the previous record holder Lothar Matthaeus.
RESULTS
Germany 7-1 Curacao
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Agency reports
