Khaberni - The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, announced a national holiday on Friday after his country's soccer team qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup with their surprising 2-1 win over Germany.
Noboa said in a post on X: Thank you to the players and the coach who, despite the criticisms, insults, and tough moments they went through, managed to overcome the odds and bring immense joy to the entire country. Tomorrow is a holiday!.
The Ecuadorian team needed to win in their last group match on Thursday, after losing to Ivory Coast and drawing with Curacao.
Ecuador conceded an early goal against Germany but rallied to secure the victory, igniting celebrations among the fans in the packed New York New Jersey stadium.
Germany had already secured their qualification as the group leader. Ivory Coast took the second place after beating Curacao 2-0.
Ecuador qualified as one of the best eight teams that finished third, reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for only the second time, after reaching the round of 16 in the 2006 tournament held in Germany before losing to England 1-0.
