Amad Diallo projects Ivory Coast’s unprecedented advance in the World Cup and warns: ‘Don’t underestimate us’
Striker Amad Diallo remembers the 2010 World Cup as his first memory of the tournament with the Ivory Coast national team. That was the country’s second participation, driven by icons like Drogba and Yaya Touré, who led the team since 2006. Now, Diallo aims to achieve a feat that the previous generation did not achieve: advancing beyond the group stage, something the country never achieved.
In a statement to FIFA, the player expressed his deep satisfaction if the team manages to overcome the initial phase. “It would be an immense joy for this generation, because we know it would be an unprecedented feat in the history of Ivorian football,” he said. He emphasized his desire to “make history”, go “beyond the group stage and even win the World Cup”, justifying this ambition by the “very strong generation, with quality players” in the current squad, which allows him to “dream big”.
Diallo made a significant impact coming off the bench, finding the net to secure a 1-0 victory against Ecuador in their World Cup opener. Furthermore, he scored the decisive goal in the 2-1 victory over France, in a friendly preparatory game for the tournament.
The player shared the feeling of “enormous emotion and great pride”, describing the experience as “a dream that comes true”, a “child’s dream, a childhood dream”. He highlighted that everyone in the current squad is experiencing the World Cup for the first time, which makes participation even more special.
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Diallo reiterated the honor of representing the country at the World Cup, highlighting that, with 30 million inhabitants in Côte d’Ivoire, the athletes feel “privileged to be among the players who are participating”. He highlighted the responsibility of “fighting for all these people, for the entire Ivory Coast”, expressing great satisfaction with the goal scored and the expectation that “it doesn’t stop there”.
Ivory Coast’s debut victory over Ecuador
Striker Amad Diallo also highlighted that the acclaimed golden generation of Ivorian football, led by Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, serves as a source of inspiration for the national team’s current squad.
“We learned a lot from them,” said Diallo. He stated that the idols of the past “left their mark on the history of Ivorian football” and passed on “many positive things” to the new crop of players. The current generation, according to him, seeks to follow the “example of this golden generation”.
After the triumph in the first round, Ivory Coast is preparing for the most challenging clash in Group E: the clash against Germany. The German team beat Curaçao 7-1 in its debut. The match is scheduled for this Saturday, at 5pm (Brasília time), and will take place at the Toronto Stadium, in Canada.
Diallo recognized Germany’s strength: “We know they are a very strong team, with a lot of experience in World Cups, and with very good players.” However, he considered that Côte d’Ivoire also has “very good players” and that “people shouldn’t underestimate us”, reinforcing the presence of “high-level players” in the squad. The team, according to him, will enter “without pressure” and seek victory, confident in the quality of both sides.
