- Full Time
- A. Diallo90'
- O. Kossounou on for G. Doué89'
- 77'K. Rodríguez on for E. Valencia
- C. Inao Oulaï on for N. Pépé77'
- I. Sangaré on for S. Fofana77'
- 73'J. Porozo
- 62'Á. Preciado on for J. Yeboah
- 62'J. Porozo on for A. Franco
- A. Diallo on for B. Touré56'
- A. Bonny on for E. Wahi56'
- 56'N. Angulo on for A. Minda
- Half Time
- G. Doué40'
- F. Kessie38'
- S. Fofana28'
- Kick Off
-
1
Amad Diallo1
- 1Seko Fofana4
- 2
John Yeboah3 - 3Joel Ordóñez2
- 1Gonzalo Plata3
- 2Emmanuel Agbadou3
- 3Pedro Vite3
- 1Wilfried Singo1
- 1Yan Diomande5
- 2Gonzalo Plata3
- 3Moisés Caicedo3
- 1Willian Pacho72
- 2Pedro Vite68
- 3Joel Ordóñez57
- 1Amad Diallo6
- 2Yan Diomande4
- 3Gonzalo Plata2
- 1Pedro Vite3
- 2Wilfried Singo3
- 3Emmanuel Agbadou2
Ivory Coast earned themselves three pivotal points in Group F as a late Amad Diallo goal secured a 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia.
In an absorbing game that deserved more goals, Diallo came off the bench to strike late and break Ecuadorian hearts with a left-footed first-time finish in the 90th minute.
A breathless first half saw chances for both teams, but Ecuador will have felt hard done by to go in at the break with the scores level. They twice hit the woodwork in the first period.
John Yeboah was the first to rattle the crossbar with an effort from the right of the box before Alan Minda lifted the ball past Yahia Fofana only to see his strike hit the bar as well.
Yan Diomande’s pace and trickery remained a thorn in Ecuador’s side but the Elephants’ best chance of the period fell to Nicolas Pepe. The former Arsenal man’s attempt was brilliantly blocked by Alan Franco. Wilfried Singo also saw a spectacular acrobatic effort fly over the bar in the closing stages of the half.
In arguably the most high-energy half of the tournament so far, the African side picked up three yellows in the first half with Seko Fofana, Franck Kessie and Guela Doue all booked.
The early stages of the second half saw the same crossbar hit, this time by Ivory Coast as Elye Wahi met Yan Diomande’s whipped cross but saw the ball bounce back off the woodwork for the third time in the game.
Ecuador’s only real chance of note in the second half came from a Gonzalo Plata shot that stung the palms of Fofana.
The only one came in the final seconds of normal time. Singo’s ranging run from the right ended in a square pass that found substitute Amad Diallo on the edge of the box. The Manchester United man was able to guide it into the bottom corner with a first-time finish to send the Ivorian supporters into raptures and earn his side all three points.
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