Amad Diallo Shatters Ecuador's Unbeaten Streak

Ecuador arrived with swagger and numbers on their side. Nineteen games without defeat since September 2024, a midfield anchored by Moisés Caicedo, and a reputation for grinding opponents down. For 89 minutes, that record looked intact.

Then Amad Diallo appeared.

From the opening whistle, Caicedo set the tone in central midfield, snapping into tackles and dictating Ecuador’s tempo. His best work came high up the pitch: a trademark, crunching challenge sparked a flowing move that really should have brought the opening goal. Alan Minda found himself with the chance to finish it, but his effort cannoned off the crossbar, the first warning that this might be one of those nights.

John Yeboah had already rattled the frame of the goal as Ecuador repeatedly carved open spaces between the Ivorian lines. They were sharper, quicker to second balls, more purposeful in possession. The woodwork, though, refused to budge.

Ivory Coast were never passive. They carried a constant threat on the break, and after half-time they reminded Ecuador how thin the margin was. Elye Wahi peeled into space and guided a measured effort beyond the goalkeeper, only to see it crash against the bar. One end to the other, both sides flirting with a breakthrough, neither able to land the punch.

As the clock ticked towards 90, the game seemed to be drifting towards a goalless draw that would have suited Ecuador’s unbeaten narrative more than the spectacle on show. The legs were heavy, the passes a fraction slower, the earlier urgency replaced by caution.

Then Wilfried Singo decided he’d had enough of caution.

The right-back surged down the flank with power and intent, driving past tired challenges and forcing Ecuador’s back line to retreat towards their own box. His low ball found Diallo, who didn’t need a touch. One glance, one swing of the boot, and he steered a clever first-time finish into the bottom corner.

Ninety minutes on the clock. Streak over.

The late strike snapped Ecuador’s 19-game unbeaten run in brutal fashion, a single moment undoing months of resilience and careful construction. Caicedo and his teammates now have little time to dwell. Curacao await next weekend, wounded themselves after a 7-1 defeat to Germany earlier on Sunday.

The question is no longer how long Ecuador can stay unbeaten. It’s how quickly they can respond.