Africa experienced mixed fortunes at the 2026 FIFA World Cup over the weekend, with Ivory Coast securing the continent’s first victory of the tournament while Tunisia endured a crushing defeat against Sweden.
In Group E, Ivory Coast claimed a dramatic 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Manchester United winger Amad Diallo.
The Elephants, making their first World Cup appearance in 12 years, looked set to settle for a draw before Diallo produced the decisive moment in the 90th minute. The substitute calmly slotted home after a powerful run and assist from Wilfried Singo to hand the African champions a memorable opening victory.
Ecuador were unfortunate not to score after striking the woodwork three times during the encounter. John Yeboah and Alan Minda both hit the crossbar in the first half, while experienced striker Enner Valencia struck the post after the restart.
Ivory Coast also threatened throughout the contest, with Elye Wahi rattling the crossbar early in the second half.
Goalkeeper Yahia Fofana equally played a key role, denying Gonzalo Plata with an important save to preserve the clean sheet.
Highly-rated winger Yan Diomande impressed once again and was named Player of the Match after tormenting the Ecuador defence throughout the game.
Speaking after the victory, Diallo said the Ivorians are focused on making history at the tournament.
“We came here to make history. We still have two more matches ahead of us, and we need to approach them with the same mentality and try to win them,” he said.
The result ended Ecuador’s impressive 19-match unbeaten run and placed Ivory Coast in a strong early position in Group E ahead of their clash against Germany on June 20.
Meanwhile, Tunisia suffered one of the heaviest defeats by an African side so far at the tournament after losing 5-1 to Sweden in Group F at the Estadio Monterrey.
Sweden dominated from the opening minutes, with Premier League stars Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres leading the Scandinavian side’s attacking display.
Yasin Ayari opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a superb long-range effort before Isak doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark after combining brilliantly with Gyokeres.
Tunisia briefly threatened a comeback when Omar Rekik headed home Hannibal Mejbri’s free-kick in the 43rd minute to reduce the deficit before halftime.
However, Sweden regained complete control after the break.
Gyokeres restored the two-goal cushion in the 59th minute, while substitute Mattias Svanberg made an instant impact by scoring only 12 seconds after coming on — the fastest goal by a substitute in World Cup history.
Ayari completed the rout deep into stoppage time with his second stunning strike of the night as Sweden climbed to the top of Group F.
Tunisia will now look to recover when they face Japan in their next group match on June 21.
Elsewhere in Group E, Germany underlined their title credentials with a ruthless 7-1 victory over World Cup debutants Curacao in Houston.
Felix Nmecha opened the scoring after just six minutes before Curacao briefly responded through Leandro Comenencia in the 21st minute.
Germany quickly regained control as Nico Schlotterbeck restored the lead before Kai Havertz converted from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time.
The Germans continued their dominance after the interval, with Jamal Musiala, Niko Brown and Deniz Undav all getting on the scoresheet, while Havertz completed his brace late in the match.
The emphatic victory highlighted Germany’s attacking depth as six different players found the net in a commanding display that sent an early warning to the rest of the tournament.
