Ivory Coast made a winning start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign after edging Ecuador 1-0 in a tightly contested encounter, while fellow African representatives Tunisia endured a difficult outing, falling 5-1 to Sweden. Manchester United winger Amad Diallo emerged as the hero for Ivory Coast, scoring a brilliant 90th-minute winner to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Philadelphia. The substitute produced a moment of magic, calmly opening up his body before guiding the ball into the bottom corner after a powerful surging run and assist from defender Wilfried Singo. The late strike not only handed the Elephants all three points but also ended Ecuador's impressive 19-match unbeaten run, which had stretched for nearly two years. Amad's decisive impact was made even more remarkable by the fact that he had been left out of Ivory Coast's starting line-up. However, his introduction changed the game, with the 23-year-old injecting energy and creativity into Ivory Coast's attack before delivering the match-winning moment when it mattered most. The result was a significant one for Ivory Coast, who entered the tournament with ambitions of making a deep run after their impressive performances in recent international competitions. Their disciplined defensive display also ensured Ecuador found little joy in front of goal despite enjoying periods of possession. While Ivory Coast celebrated, it was a completely different story for Tunisia. Sweden took control of the match early, with Yasin Ayari opening the scoring just seven minutes after kickoff. Alexander Isak doubled the lead in the 30th minute, putting the Scandinavians firmly in command before Tunisia found a lifeline through Omar Rekik's strike two minutes before halftime. Any hopes of a Tunisian comeback were effectively dashed in the second half when Viktor Gyökeres capitalised on a defensive lapse to restore Sweden's two-goal cushion in the 59th minute. Mattias Svanberg added a fourth goal six minutes from time as Sweden's dominance continued, before Ayari capped off an impressive individual performance by netting his second of the evening deep into stoppage time to complete a resounding 5-1 victory The contrasting fortunes leave Ivory Coast as the highest-placed African side from the day's action, while Tunisia face an uphill battle to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
