Manchester United winger Amad Diallo came off the bench to net a 90th-minute goal to get Ivory Coast's World Cup off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win over Ecuador in Group E.
The forward was a surprise absentee from Emerse Fae's starting line-up but channeled any frustration in the best way possible after replacing Bazoumana Toure 10 minutes into the second half, sidefooting the winner smartly beyond Hernan Galindez after a lung-busting run from Wilfried Singo down the right flank.
It provided Ecuador with a painful start to their World Cup campaign and ended their 19-game unbeaten streak, which looked well intact in an opening half-hour where they twice struck the crossbar through John Yeboah and Alan Minda, defying their pre-match expectations by dominating the early exchanges with and without the ball.
They never got back to those early heights and increasingly appeared at the mercy of Ivory Coast during the brief moments the 2023 AFCON champions clicked - with Yan Diomande lively almost throughout but with his end product often lacking.
Elye Wahi struck the crossbar for Fae's side in the second half before the introduction of Amad and Ange-Yoan Bonny breathed new life into them, but it would take until the final minute of normal time for it to count when the Man Utd winger sparked wild celebrations among the entire squad 12 years to the day since their last World Cup win.
Your Site' Ron Walker:
It was a surprise to plenty around Philadelphia including, most likely, Amad himself that he was not named in Fae's starting line-up.
He had not started any of the Ivory Coast's three friendlies since their African Cup of Nations exit in January but did net their winner against France in their one warm-up game ahead of the World Cup - so to see Diomande shifted over to the right to accommodate Toure was even more head scratching.
It was clear from even his fervent half-time warm-up that the decision was going to soon be reversed and, sure enough, the Ivory Coast improved in the final third once his number came up in the 56th minute both through his own contribution but also that of Diomande when restored to his favoured left flank.
It would be a shock if he does not now keep his place against Germany on Saturday evening though Fae's biggest problems in that game will likely come at the other end of the field, given how close Ecuador - who had scored just 14 goals in 18 qualifying games - came to taking the lead in the opening half-hour before the Ivory Coast came into the game.
Certainly, a Germany side who put seven past Curacao in their opener will not be so generous.
