PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The wait is almost over for Ivory Coast. While they’ve been champions of Africa as recently as 2023, it has been 12 years since Les Elephants have made an appearance at the FIFA World Cup, and facing Ecuador on Sunday in Philadelphia will be a moment that feels like their rightful place in the global game.
It’s something that excites manager Emerse Fae, and it also has been something that the city has gotten behind, with orange being seen from Delaware to Pennsylvania due to the squad being based at Subaru Park, the home of the Philadelphia Union, as their base camp for the tournament.
“We can’t wait. Ivory Coast has not taken part in the last two editions of the World Cup, and the country and the players can’t wait; we’ve prepared and are excited for the competition,” Fae stated in his pre-match press conference.
Behind young players, Yan Diomande (a former Florida prep player) and Amad Diallo, Les Elephants are balancing their past of players like Seko Fofana and Franck Kessie with a future that is very bright for the side. Entering with only one injury concern in Evan N’Dicka, they’ll feel good about their chances facing Ecuador even though La Tri are a strong CONMEBOL side in their own right. But while they won’t want to feel out of place, Fae couldn’t help but acknowledge that stepping onto the pitch of Lincoln Financial Field will be a special moment for him and the squad.
“It’s very special, we’re happy, and this brings us closer to the match and the kickoff,” Fae stated, referring to his pre-match stadium inspection. “We’re used to large stadiums, but when we stepped on the pitch, we were very impressed and happy with the quality of the pitch, and we can’t wait to get started.”
In a group with Germany and Curacao, this is a game which could essentially determine who qualifies for the knockout stages of the tournament, but Fae also isn’t doing calculations yet. It’s true that with the best eight third-placed teams going to the round of 32, that a side with three points will likely make the cut, but that could lead to facing tough opposition as well.
“No, not really, this is not the state of mind that we’re going to start the competition,” Fae stated when asked about the new format. “It’s not 100% that you can qualify with three points, and we don’t want to make calculations. [Sunday] we want three points, and this isn’t going to stop us from playing. We’re not going to think that that can get us into the round of 32.”
Ecuador only allowed five goals in 18 games of World Cup qualifying, so it will be a match where it’ll be tough to find the net, but defeating France in a tune-up friendly will be something that builds confidence. Fae has built a squad that plays together and doesn’t mind sharing the ball, which is critical for pulling apart a defense like this. If they can keep that up, they’ll have their chances to kick off the World Cup with all three points, especially when being backed by positive support from their fans in the Philadelphia area for the match.
In three matches against South American sides at the World Cup, Ivory Coast have never won one, so in order to change the trend of history, they’ll need to be at their best on Sunday.
