'Senegal want to continue this adventure' - Cisse on Ecuador showdown
Ecuador 0-0 Senegal
8 mins: Shot! Senegal get in again after a long ball is poorly cleared by Piero Hincapie. He nods the ball to Iliman Ndiaye who plays it inside to Youssouf Sabaly who’s bombed up the pitch.
Sabaly slides a dainty pass into the penalty area where Boulaye Dia breaks through the lines and hooks a shot wide of the far post!
Ecuador 0-0 Senegal
6 mins: Ecuador have set up with a narrow shape and an aggressive mindset which is giving Senegal freedom on the wider areas to push up the pitch.
The South American side seem keen to score and impose themselves on the match.
Ecuador 0-0 Senegal
3 mins: Chance! Oh my days. Senegal should be in front.
Pape Gueye is given the ball on the left wing and storms down the line before bringing the ball to the edge of the penalty area. He squares a pass over to Idrissa Gueye who collects the ball in space.
He shifts to the right then laces his shot narrowly wide of the post! The Everton midfielder needs to hit the target there!
Kick off: Ecuador 0-0 Senegal
Ecuador get the ball rolling in this must-win Group A decider. They send the ball long a couple of times but some physical defending from Kalidou Koulibaly sees Senegal keep them at bay.
Ecuador vs Senegal
Here come the teams!
They stride purposefully onto the pitch and belt out the national anthems. By five o’clock we’ll know which teams have qualified from Group A.
Who will go through, Ecuador or Senegal?
‘Cool headed’ Senegal dealing with pressure
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has urged his players “not to overthink” today’s must-win clash and has told them to keep “cool heads” throughout the game.
“We are OK, we are dealing with pressure and stress. For me it is good stress,” he added when addressing the media.
Ecuador vs Senegal
Ecuador are aiming to reach the last 16 for just the second time in their history and the first time since 2006.
Senegal can live up to their title of African champions with a good run through the World Cup and that starts today if they can reach the knockout stages.
(REUTERS)
Ecuador vs Senegal
The stage is set and the fans are ready. Kick off between Ecuador and Senegal is just over 15 minutes away.
(REUTERS)
(Getty Images)
(REUTERS)
Leading from the front
Ecuador captain Enner Valencia has scored six World Cup goals for Ecuador, twice as many as any other player (Agustin Delgado has three). He’s scored those six goals from just nine shots on target.
Valencia has also scored each of Ecuador’s last six goals at the World Cup, the first player to do so for a single nation since Oleg Salenko for Russia in 1994.
He could become the first player in World Cup history to score seven goals in a row for a nation.
Can Ecuador qualify?
If they avoid defeat, Ecuador will qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the second time in their history, also doing so in the 2006 edition in Germany.
It would also be the first time they’ve gone through an entire group stage unbeaten.
The South American team would also likely face England in the last 16 too.
