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Amad Diallo says Cote d’Ivoire can leave FIFA World Cup 2026 proud after reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
The Elephants were beaten 2-1 by Norway in the Round of 32 at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday night, bringing an end to a campaign that had already delivered a major breakthrough for Ivorian football.
Amad Happy With Elephants’ Achievement
Côte d’Ivoire had appeared at three previous World Cups without escaping the group stage, but Emerse Faé’s young team changed that record by advancing from Group E.
“We are really proud of what we achieved,”Anad told FIFA.
“We are the youngest team in this competition, so we can feel really proud. We had played in three tournaments before and never got past the group stage, so we’ve achieved that.”
Read Also:World Cup 2026: Amad Hails Cote d’Ivoire’s Win Over Ecuador
Pride In Scoring Against Norway
The Manchester United winger scored Cote d’Ivoire’s only against Norway.
It was Amad’s second goal of the tournament, following his strike in the group stage against Ecuador.
The 23-year-old said scoring in a World Cup knockout match was a major personal moment.
“It’s a big thing to score that goal because it’s a dream come true,” said Diallo.
“I always dreamed to play on the biggest stage, so scoring this goal was something crazy. At the end, even if you lose, it’s a win also,” added Amad.
By Adeboye Amosu
