World Cup 2026: Cote d’Ivoire ‘not in the US to just visit’- Emerse Fae after Ecuador victory

Cote d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Faé insists his side have arrived at the World Cup with serious intent, not as tourists, after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Ecuador signalled a strong start to their Group E campaign.

Substitute Amad Diallo proved decisive in the closing moments, striking a 90th-minute winner that secured all three points and underlined the growing belief within a youthful Ivorian squad. The result also extended a positive run of form that has quietly built momentum since qualification.

Since booking their place at the tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Cote d’Ivoire have looked increasingly assured. Comfortable warm-up victories over South Korea and Scotland in March were followed by a notable 2-1 away win against France, further strengthening confidence in Faé’s developing project.

“We came with ambitions” says Faé

Faé was direct in his assessment of what the victory means for his team’s mentality and tournament expectations, stressing that the Elephants are not content with mere participation.

“We came to the U.S. for this, and we came here with ambitions, with high hopes,” Faé said.

“We don’t want to just have visited the U.S. and have to go back, so everything is going well for now.”

He added that the performance against Ecuador reflected a side learning quickly on the biggest stage, especially against an experienced opponent built on structure and discipline.

“We’ve beaten France. We are starting this competition well against Ecuador, a very tough team, but we managed to come into our own and won the match. This shows that our team has acquitted itself well.”

Young Elephants tested but resilient

Cote d’Ivoire’s attacking unit, still in its early evolution, was tested by a disciplined Ecuador backline featuring Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho and Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie, with Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo providing protection in midfield.

Despite that challenge, Faé’s side showed patience and maturity, gradually growing into the contest before finding a breakthrough when it mattered most. The introduction of young talent, including highly rated 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande, added further energy and unpredictability in the final third.

The result reinforced the idea that Cote d’Ivoire’s strength lies not in individual superstardom, but in a collective structure capable of responding under pressure.

Germany clash looms large in decisive Group E battle

Attention now turns quickly to a much sterner examination against four-time champions Germany, who opened their campaign with a commanding 7-1 win over debutants Curaçao in Houston.

The scale of that victory has set the tone for what lies ahead in Group E, with Faé acknowledging the magnitude of the challenge awaiting his side in Toronto.

“It will be a difficult match again,” he said. “It’s Germany. They have lots and lots of experience. World Cup, they won it a few times. They have players playing in the greatest European clubs. They have a very striking power.”

Still, the Cote d’Ivoire coach made clear his team will not approach the encounter with hesitation or inferiority.

“7-1 for the first match in this competition. It’s not nothing, but we’ll go there to win. With the mind to win and to get to our qualification from the second day on.”

“We’ll go eyeball to eyeball with them and we’ll try to give it our all. We have our own qualities. We’ll lean on our own strength and we’ll try to bring down the German wall.”

A generation chasing a first knockout breakthrough

Cote d’Ivoire return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, still searching for a first-ever appearance in the knockout stages. Yet with renewed belief, a fearless young squad, and a coach determined to reshape expectations, there is a growing sense that this time the story could be different.