Amad Diallo's Late Strike Ends Ecuador's Unbeaten Streak

Ecuador arrived with swagger and numbers on their side. Nineteen games without defeat, a midfield anchored by Moisés Caicedo, and a reputation for being brutally hard to break down. For 90 minutes, that record looked safe enough.

Then Amad Diallo appeared, and the streak was gone.

Ecuador dominate, but the ball won’t go in

Caicedo, stationed in central midfield, set the tone early. He snapped into tackles, dictated the tempo, and repeatedly pushed Ecuador up the pitch. One trademark challenge high in Ivory Coast territory sparked what should have been the breakthrough: Ecuador swarmed forward, Alan Minda found space, and the chance begged to be finished. It wasn’t.

The woodwork soon became Ivory Coast’s unlikely ally. John Yeboah rattled the crossbar, Minda did the same, and Ecuador’s bench rose as one, only to sink back down as the ball bounced out and away. The pattern felt familiar: Ecuador sharper between the boxes, Ivory Coast hanging on but always dangerous when they broke.

Ivory Coast bite back

Ivory Coast never looked overawed. They carried a quiet menace, the sense that one clean move could flip the story. Early in the second half, they almost did just that. Elye Wahi found a pocket of space and steered a shot past the goalkeeper, only to see it cannon off the bar. Another thud of woodwork, another escape.

By then, the game had become a test of nerve as much as quality. Ecuador kept probing, Caicedo continued to snap into duels and recycle possession, but the final touch deserted them. Each missed chance tightened the tension.

Singo’s surge, Amad’s finish, and a streak destroyed

As the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, a goalless draw felt inevitable. Both sides had hit the frame, both had threatened, neither had found the precision to finish.

Wilfried Singo changed that in an instant.

The Ivory Coast right-back powered down the flank, driving past tired legs and into space. His run sliced open Ecuador’s defensive shape, and when the ball reached Amad Diallo, the winger needed only one touch to decide it. A deft, first-time guide into the bottom corner. No fuss, no second invitation.

The net rippled, and with it Ecuador’s 19-game unbeaten run finally snapped.

For Ecuador, the defeat stings not just because of the late timing, but because they had controlled long stretches and still walked away with nothing. For Caicedo, who had done so much of the dirty work in midfield, it was a harsh reminder that dominance without ruthlessness counts for little at this level.

There is no time to dwell. Curacao await next weekend, wounded themselves after a 7-1 loss to Germany earlier on Sunday. Ecuador’s response to this punch to the gut will say as much about them as the unbeaten run ever did.