Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé has defended his decision to leave Amadou Diallo out of the starting lineup against Norway, insisting he has no regrets despite the substitute producing an immediate impact in the Elephants’ heartbreaking FIFA World Cup exit.
Diallo came off the bench to score Ivory Coast’s equalizer and inject fresh energy into the contest, prompting questions after the match over whether the winger should have started the Round of 32 encounter.
A Nigerian journalist asked Faé whether he would have changed his mind if someone had predicted before kickoff that Diallo would both stop Norway’s momentum and score Ivory Coast’s only goal.
The coach remained firm in his response.
“I don’t think so,” Faé said.
“We decided to leave him on the bench at the start of the game.”
Rather than viewing the decision as a mistake, Faé explained it had been part of the team’s tactical plan from the outset.
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He believed Diallo’s greatest influence would come later in the match, when fresh legs could change the rhythm against tiring opponents.
“We knew that he was going to give us a lot when he came in, and this is what happened,” the Ivorian coach added.
Despite Ivory Coast’s 2-1 defeat, Faé refused to second-guess his team selection, choosing instead to focus on the collective effort of his players throughout the tournament.
“I don’t want to have regrets about the men that I put,” he said.
“I think all the players gave their best and we didn’t miss much to go to the next round.”
Ivory Coast were eliminated in dramatic fashion after Norway struck a late winner, ending a spirited comeback that had seen Diallo restore parity midway through the second half.
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Earlier in the press conference, Faé admitted his youthful squad lacked the maturity needed to manage key moments after equalising, believing they should have protected the draw and taken the contest into extra time instead of leaving spaces that Norway ultimately punished.
