Ecuador's Unbeaten Streak Ends Dramatically Against Ivory Coast

Ecuador’s 19-game unbeaten run was snapped in the cruellest way possible – with the clock ticking into the 90th minute and their resistance finally broken by a flash of quality from Ivory Coast.

Moises Caicedo, anchoring the midfield, had spent most of the night driving his side on in a contest that felt, for long stretches, like it belonged to Ecuador. They arrived without a defeat since September 2024 and played like a team that expected that sequence to stretch on.

They set the tone early. Ecuador moved the ball with authority, snapping into challenges, Caicedo patrolling high up the pitch and forcing turnovers. One of those trademark interventions opened up the first big chance: Caicedo nicked possession, the ball was worked wide, and Alan Minda burst through. He had time, he had space, and he had the crossbar rattling when it should have been the net bulging.

Before that, John Yeboah had already thumped the frame of the goal, his effort another warning that Ivory Coast were being pushed back and picked apart. Ecuador weren’t just edging it; they were dictating the rhythm, pinning their opponents in and testing their nerve.

Ivory Coast, though, never disappeared. They carried a threat whenever they broke the press, and as the game wore on, their attacks began to bite. Early in the second half, Elye Wahi reminded everyone of their quality. A sharp move, a clever run, and Wahi’s guided effort crashed against the bar, mirroring Ecuador’s misfortune at the other end.

The woodwork had become the night’s busiest defender. Both sides had clipped it, both had cursed it, and as the minutes drained away, the match drifted towards a goalless draw that felt harsh on the ambition shown.

Then came the twist.

With the game in its final minute, Wilfried Singo surged down the right flank, brushing past challenges with a run that carried real intent. Ecuador, so disciplined for so long, suddenly looked stretched. Singo picked his moment and picked his pass, sliding the ball into Amad Diallo.

Diallo needed only one touch. A deft, first-time finish, steered into the bottom corner, finally beat the Ecuador goalkeeper and silenced a run that had lasted 19 matches. No second chance, no time to respond. Just a clean strike and a brutal full stop to months of momentum.

For Ecuador, the defeat stings not just because of the timing, but because of the performance that preceded it. They had the chances, they had control, and they had their midfield leader setting the tone. It still wasn’t enough.

Next up is Curacao, who were thrashed 7-1 by Germany earlier on Sunday. On paper, it looks like the ideal fixture to reset, to prove this late collapse was a stumble rather than the start of a slide. Now Ecuador have to show that a single swing of Amad Diallo’s boot won’t define their year.