* Just when the encounter appeared destined to finish goalless, Manchester United winger Amad Diallo produced a moment of composure and quality in the closing moments
* As Tunisia’s return to the FIFA World Cup stage began in painful fashion when Sweden delivered a ruthless attacking display to claim a commanding 5-1 victory
Maravi Express
Côte d’Ivoire launched their FIFA World Cup™ 2026 campaign in dramatic fashion as substitute Amad Diallo struck a late winner to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday night.
Advertisement
Just when the Group E encounter appeared destined to finish goalless, the Manchester United winger produced a moment of composure and quality in the closing moments to hand the Elephants a priceless three points.
The Africans are level on points with Germany at the top of the group after the four-time world champions were clinical in their execution by destroying the World Cup debutantes Curaçao 7-1.
Ruthless Germany
Côte d’Ivoire’s result capped a resilient display from coach Emerse Faé’s side, who were forced to withstand long periods of Ecuadorian pressure before delivering the decisive blow when it mattered most.
For much of the evening, Ecuador looked the more likely side to break the deadlock when the South Americans started brightly and repeatedly threatened the Ivorian goal through the dangerous quartet of Moisés Caicedo, Enner Valencia, John Yeboah and Alan Minda.
Their attacking intent almost paid off early when Yeboah unleashed a fierce long-range strike that crashed against the crossbar with goalkeeper Yahia Fofana beaten.
Moments later Ecuador came even closer. Pedro Vite threaded a superb pass through the Ivorian defence and Minda raced clear, only to see his curling effort strike the woodwork for a second time.
The Elephants were under pressure but refused to buckle. Goalkeeper Fofana remained calm and assured behind a disciplined back line, while 19-year-old Yan Diomande continued to provide a spark going forward.
The teenager, making history as the first Ivorian teenager to appear in a FIFA World Cup match, repeatedly stretched Ecuador with his pace and direct running down the flank.
He capped his historic World Cup debut with the Man-of-the-Match award after the youngster created five chances in the game; more than any other player.
Côte d’Ivoire gradually began to grow into the contest. Bazoumana Touré forced Hernán Galíndez into a sharp save with a low drive, while Diomande’s energy increasingly troubled Ecuador’s defence.
Yet neither side could find the breakthrough before the interval. The second half continued in similar fashion, with chances arriving at both ends.
Ecuador again came within inches of scoring when veteran striker Enner Valencia fired a powerful effort against the post from a narrow angle. It was another warning for the Elephants, who responded almost immediately.
Elye Wahi connected brilliantly with a first-time effort that beat the goalkeeper but rattled the crossbar, ensuring the remarkable battle with the woodwork continued.
As the match entered its final stages, Côte d’Ivoire began to assert greater control. The West African side enjoyed more possession and pushed Ecuador deeper into their own half, sensing an opportunity to seize all three points.
That moment finally arrived in the 90th minute; Wilfried Singo surged forward on the right and delivered a dangerous ball into the area. Amad, introduced from the bench to provide fresh attacking impetus, timed his run perfectly before guiding a precise left-footed finish into the bottom corner beyond the reach of Galíndez.
The goal sparked scenes of celebration among the Ivorian supporters and transformed a tense contest into a memorable opening-night victory.
Ecuador pushed desperately for an equaliser but time ran out, leaving the South Americans to reflect on a match in which they created numerous opportunities yet failed to convert any of them.
For Côte d’Ivoire, however, it was a night of resilience, patience and clinical finishing as they now turn their attention to a huge Group E showdown against Germany, buoyed by the confidence of an opening victory and the knowledge that they possess players capable of producing decisive moments on football’s biggest stage.
After surviving Ecuador’s early storm and finding a late breakthrough through Amad, the former African champions have announced their arrival at the World Cup in the most dramatic fashion possible.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s return to the FIFA World Cup stage began in painful fashion as Sweden delivered a ruthless attacking display to claim a commanding 5-1 victory in their opening Group F encounter.
The Carthage Eagles arrived at the tournament hoping to make a strong statement, but instead found themselves overwhelmed by a Swedish side that combined pace, precision and clinical finishing to seize control of the match from the opening minutes.
The defeat leaves Tunisia with significant work to do in their remaining group matches against Japan and the Netherlands if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
Sweden wasted little time imposing themselves on the contest. The Scandinavian side dominated possession early on and exposed Tunisia’s defensive uncertainty from the outset.
Their pressure was rewarded after just seven minutes when Yasin Ayari capitalised on confusion inside the Tunisian defence to fire Sweden into the lead.
The early goal settled Swedish nerves and allowed them to dictate the tempo of the game. Tunisia struggled to establish rhythm in midfield, while Sweden repeatedly threatened through quick passing combinations and intelligent movement in the final third.
Their superiority was reflected on the scoreboard again in the 30th minute. Alexander Isak, one of Sweden’s most dangerous attacking weapons, doubled the advantage with a composed finish after another flowing move, leaving Tunisia facing an uphill task before the interval.
Yet just when Sweden appeared to be cruising towards half-time, Tunisia found a lifeline. Defender Omar Rekik rose to the occasion in the 43rd minute to pull one goal back and briefly reignite hopes among Tunisian supporters.
The goal offered encouragement and suggested the Eagles of Carthage might still have a route back into the match — but any momentum they gained before the break, however, disappeared shortly after the restart.
Sweden resumed control with confidence and authority, refusing to allow Sabri Lamouchi’s side to build sustained pressure. Their midfield controlled possession, while Tunisia increasingly found themselves chasing the game.
The decisive blow arrived in the 59th minute when Viktor Gyökeres extended Sweden’s lead to 3-1 — which effectively extinguished Tunisia’s hopes of a comeback and handed Sweden complete control of proceedings.
From that point, the Scandinavian side played with growing freedom, and while Tunisia attempted to push forward in search of another goal, they were repeatedly exposed by Sweden’s attacking quality and movement.
Defensive gaps continued to appear, and the Swedes took full advantage and Mattias Svanberg added the fourth goal in the 86th minute with a powerful strike that underlined Sweden’s dominance, before Ayari returned deep into stoppage time to complete the scoring and claim his second goal of the evening.
The final whistle confirmed a difficult night for Tunisia, whose defensive vulnerabilities were punished by one of Europe’s most efficient attacking teams — and for Sweden, the victory provides an ideal start to their World Cup campaign and places them in a strong position in Group F.
For Tunisia, the challenge now is to regroup quickly. Coach Sabri Lamouchi and his players must address the defensive mistakes that proved so costly if they are to revive their campaign against Japan and the Netherlands.
The World Cup journey is far from over, but the Eagles of Carthage know that their margin for error has now disappeared. Two decisive matches await, and Tunisia will need a significant response if they are to keep their dreams of progression alive.—Reporting by CAFonline; editing by Maravi Express
Group stage results
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
South Korea 2-1 Czechia
Group B
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Group C
Brazil 1-1 Morocco
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Group D
USA 4-1 Paraguay
Australia 2-0 Turkiye
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Germany 7-1 Curacao
Group F
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Advertisement