Amad Diallo Proves Benni McCarthy Wrong With Late Twist in Ivory Coast vs Ecuador Clash

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy made a startling halftime claim live on the BBC, suggesting that the World Cup match between Ivory Coast and Ecuador appeared as if both teams had "already agreed on the result.

The former Manchester United attacking coach, serving as a pundit, was unimpressed by the goalless first half between Ecuador and Ivory Coast in Philadelphia.

He argued that with their tournament futures on the line, both sides were playing cautiously to avoid defeat rather than to win.

The match carried significant weight after Germany's dominant 7-1 victory over Curacao earlier in the day, positioning the winner of this game as the clear favourite to advance to the next round. However, Benni McCarthy felt this pressure led to a distinct lack of attacking intent.

"It looks like the German game, they took all the goals, and these two are just playing," Benni McCarthy stated as quoted by The Sun.

"It’s like they said, 'Let’s keep it safe. We can both qualify. Let’s get a point each, and then whatever happens against Germany, we both thrash Curacao, and then that’s where we pick up our points.'"

He concluded, "Germany goes through top of the group. That’s what it looks like. They’ve already agreed on the result."

The South African spent two years as an attacking coach at Manchester United. His comments were not an accusation of match-fixing but rather a critique of the new tournament format.

The expansion allows eight of the twelve third-placed teams to advance from the group stage, which McCarthy implied had removed the incentive for teams to take risks.

With Curacao as the clear underdog and Germany the powerhouse, a draw would keep both Ecuador and Ivory Coast in contention heading into their next matches.

Despite McCarthy's assessment, Ecuador had come close to scoring, hitting the woodwork twice in the first half.

John Yeboah first sent a shot narrowly over before another effort rattled the crossbar. Pedro Vite also struck the bar after being played through by Alan Minda.

After the break, Ivory Coast increased their intensity, creating several chances from close range. The notion of a pre-arranged draw was ultimately shattered when Amad Diallo, a player Benni McCarthy had called for to be substituted on, scored a dramatic 90th-minute winner for the Ivorians.