Has the Atlantic air made Emerse Fae clairvoyant? Prior to his team’s showdown with the coach predicted a “battle”, and a close opening match that would be decided by “the fine margins”.
When Sunday rolled around, this was precisely what came to pass, as the Ivorians faced a highly raucous and partisan crowd in a dominated by yellow shirts.
Coming up against an Ecuadorian side who were aggressive in the duels and driven on by the unceasing support in the stands, Côte d'Ivoire had to wait until the 90th minute for goal to secure a valuable three points and their first ever World Cup victory over South American opposition.
“We were united, we were patient, and we were up for the battle that we were expecting,” Fae told FIFA. “I have to congratulate the players, because this is the first World Cup for every single one of them.” This may go some way towards explaining the “tension at the start of the game” that Fae also observed.
“It wasn’t easy, because we were playing in front of 60,000 Ecuadorians,” explained forward Nicolas Pepe. “It felt like we were in enemy territory, but it was a huge performance for us, which is going to help us with the matches to come.”
Sebastian Beccacece’s side were unbeaten in 17 games coming into this encounter and had boasted the meanest defence over the course of the CONMEBOL qualifiers. However, Côte d'Ivoire had the shining brilliance of Yan Diomande to call on and eventually wore down Ecuador’s resolute back four, led by Willian Pacho.
Every time RB Leipzig starlet Diomande touched the ball, the Philadelphia Stadium crowd held its collective breath. “We’re delighted to have him in the side,” said Pepe as he eulogised the performance of a teenager who is now the youngest Ivorian to ever represent his side at the World Cup.
“We trusted him, 100%. We know that, if we give him the ball, he’s going to make a difference,” added an impassioned Fae. “The boy is bursting with talent. As a coach, it’s a blessing to have a player like him.
“He can attack, he can play on either wing, he makes runs in behind, he keeps opponents guessing, and he puts in a defensive shift too. We’re lucky to have him, just as we’re lucky to have Nico [Pepe] and Amad [Diallo].”
On the back of his goal in Côte d’Ivoire’s 2-1 friendly victory over France and his three goals at the recent CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Amad Diallo also played a big part on Sunday, coming on with half an hour to play and scoring the only goal of the game.
“Despite not being physically 100%, he showed his class and composure in front of goal. He’s exactly the kind of player we need, and it’s great to have him in the team,” Pepe said of the young Manchester United forward.
Les Elephants will not have long to rest on their laurels, with a date with Germany in Toronto awaiting them next. Should they win that match, they would be almost certain of making it through the group stage for the first time in their history.
In each of their three previous tournaments (2006, 2010 and 2014), Côte d'Ivoire finished with one victory to their name. In the past, this has not been enough to qualify them for the knockout stages.
“I really believe that we can get a good result against Germany,” predicted Pepe, who sees his team pushing on with their current momentum. For Elye Wahi, things are clearer still. Regardless of the result against the Germans, Côte d'Ivoire “will go deep into the tournament” as far as he is concerned.
Despite being a relatively recent call-up, the Nice forward has rapidly become a fixture in the national side. Whether he has also gained his coach’s talent for clairvoyance is something that will become apparent over the coming days.
Sources: FIFA Official
