Ecuador emerged as a surprise force in South American qualifying, outranking traditional powerhouses Brazil and Colombia despite an initial points penalty.
Their triumph was built on a stingy defence, featuring a four‑man backline anchored by midfield anchor Moisés Caicedo. They surrendered only five goals across 18 matches — a tally that borders on the unbelievable.
Their offense, however, was underwhelming, with the trio averaging fewer than 0.8 goals per game. Yet the opening half suggested otherwise.
Ecuador moved the ball with patience and craft, unsettling the Ivory Coast defense into a succession of awkward formations. They also applied relentless counter‑pressing, pouncing on errors high up the field.
The only shortfall was a lack of precision in the final third. Valencia, their most prolific scorer by a sizable margin, wasted a promising chance over the bar after a cut‑back from the left.
John Yeboah curled a shot onto the crossbar, and minutes later Alan Minda duplicated the effort following a sophisticated pass from Pedro Vite.
They may have ought to have opened a two‑goal lead by halftime. As the second half unfolded and the Ivory Coast seized control, coach Sebastián Beccacece likely lamented his side’s profligacy.