Côte d'Ivoire, who crushed South Korea 4-0, overcame 'twice hitting the crossbar' misfortune to defeat Ecuador 1-0 and secure their first World Cup victory.

*This content was translated by AI.

Côte d'Ivoire, which had devastated the South Korean national football team 4-0 in a friendly match last March, defeated Ecuador in the first match of the Group E stage of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup. Ecuador, considered the tournament's biggest dark horse, could not overcome the misfortune of hitting the crossbar twice with their shots and hung their heads in defeat.

On the 15th (Korean time), Côte d'Ivoire defeated Ecuador 1-0 in the Group E first match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup at Philadelphia Stadium in the United States. With this victory, Côte d'Ivoire started the group stage in second place, following Germany, who had previously crushed Curaçao 7-1.

Côte d'Ivoire, ranked 33rd in the FIFA rankings, was evaluated as a formidable opponent in this tournament, while Ecuador, ranked 23rd, also drew attention as a dark horse after finishing second overall in the South American World Cup qualifiers. The winner of the intense first matchup was Côte d'Ivoire, who scored a dramatic late goal in the 45th minute of the second half.

Ecuador seized the first opportunity. In the 11th minute of the first half, Enner Valencia (Pachuca) controlled a low cross from the left flank inside the penalty box. Taking advantage of the chaotic situation where a defender slipped, Valencia connected with a left-footed shot, but it missed the goal. Seven minutes later, Côte d'Ivoire also had a chance; Elie Wahi (Nice) penetrated the space behind the defense and connected with a shot, but it was caught by the goalkeeper.

Subsequently, the crossbar repeatedly thwarted both teams' determination to score the first goal. Ecuador suffered the first disappointment. In the 23rd minute of the first half, a left-footed mid-range shot from John Yeboah (Venezia) from the right side of the arc hit the crossbar first. Seven minutes later, a shot from Alan Minda (Atlético Mineiro), who penetrated the space behind the defense and faced the goalkeeper, also struck the crossbar.

Côte d'Ivoire, relieved by the crossbar twice, suffered its own misfortune in the 7th minute of the second half. Wahi connected with a cross from the right flank with a non-stop shot, but this time it also hit the crossbar. Afterwards, Côte d'Ivoire saw Yans Diomandé (Leipzig) take a shot that narrowly missed the goal, while Ecuador's Gonzalo Plata (Flamengo) had his shot blocked by the goalkeeper, and neither team could find a breakthrough.

The tense 0-0 balance was finally broken in the 45th minute of the second half. Ahmad Diallo (Manchester United), who had been substituted in, finished off a cross from Olin Wilfried Senghor (Galatasaray), who broke through the right flank. Diallo's goal became the decisive goal that decided the match between the two fiercely competing teams.

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*This content was translated by AI.