#ecuador-national-team

#ecuador-national-team

The forward, who also netted in his country's 2-0 win over Japan last month, scored a second-half equaliser at Q2 Stadium, where Enner Valencia had put the visitors in front. Both sides were narrowly off the target early on. Jordy Alcivar drilled a low shot just wide in the fifth minute, while Balogun was inches away from finding the top corner with a curling effort.

Ecuador have booked their ticket to a second straight World Cup with ease, even after starting this qualifying cycle on the back foot with a three-point deduction. El Tri have been remarkably hard to break down, posting seven wins, eight draws and just two defeats from 17 outings. All eight stalemates have finished 0-0 - including their last four in succession - highlighting both their defensive discipline and their attacking shortcomings.