Diallo's 90th-Minute Punch: Ivory Coast Stuns Ecuador at World Cup

Emerse Fae apparently decided Amad Diallo was surplus to requirements for the starting eleven. Big mistake. The Manchester United winger made that clear in the most dramatic fashion possible. Diallo arrived as a substitute for Bazoumana Toure ten minutes into the second half. He then sidefooted a smart finish past keeper Hernan Galindez, all thanks to Wilfried Singo's lung-busting run down the right flank. The Ivory Coast bench? Absolute bedlam.

This win was anything but easy. Ecuador, frankly, looked better early on. They bossed the opening exchanges, twice rattling the crossbar inside the first half-hour. John Yeboah and Alan Minda were the culprits. They defied every pre-match whisper. That early surge? It also snapped Ecuador's 19-game unbeaten streak. Hard to believe, watching those first few minutes.

Ivory Coast eventually stirred, but consistency was a distant dream. Yan Diomande, a constant presence for the 2023 AFCON champions, repeatedly found his final touch wanting. Elye Wahi even hit the woodwork himself in the second half. Then Fae threw on Amad and Ange-Yoan Bonny. Suddenly, the game pivoted.

It took until the very last minute of regulation time for that pressure to finally tell. When it did, it wasn't just a goal. It was Ivory Coast's first World Cup win in exactly 12 years. Down to the day. What a way to break the drought.