Ecuador booked their place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup after coming from behind to defeat Germany 2-1 in their final Group E match on Thursday.
Germany, who had already secured top spot in the group after winning their opening two games, made a dream start when Leroy Sané scored just two minutes into the contest.
Ecuador responded quickly, with Nilson Angulo netting the country’s first goal of the tournament in the ninth minute to level the score.
The decisive moment came in the 77th minute when Gonzalo Plata capitalised on a corner kick that was flicked on by Kevin Rodríguez. As veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer attempted to gather the ball, Plata stretched out his left foot and poked it into the net.
The victory saw Ecuador finish third in Group E with four points, earning qualification for the knockout rounds for only the second time in the nation’s history, with their previous appearance coming at the 2002 World Cup.
