These former PSV players competed for Ecuador and Ivory Coast at the World Cup

On the night of Sunday 14 to Monday 15 June, Ecuador and Ivory Coast will play each other in the group of Curaçao under the management of Dick Advocaat and Armando Obispo. For both countries, at least one former PSV player has played at a World Cup at some point.

By name Ecuador, it was none other than Edison Mendez who represented his country as a former PSV player at three different World Cups. Mendez played for PSV from 2006 to 2009 and represented Ecuador at the 2002 World Cup, the 2006 World Cup, and the 2014 World Cup.

At the 2002 World Cup in Japan & South Korea, Mendez was responsible for the winning goal against Croatia (1-0), and this was Ecuador's first-ever World Cup victory. Nevertheless, Ecuador were eliminated in the group stage due to defeats against Italy (2-0) and Mexico (2-1).

The 2006 World Cup in Germany went better for Mendez & co. Ecuador managed to qualify for the next round together with Germany at the expense of Poland and Costa Rica, where England ultimately proved too strong with a 1-0 win.

For the 2010 World Cup, Ecuador failed to qualify, but in 2014 in Brazil, the country was represented again. There, the team with Mendez in the squad finished third in the group with four points from three matches, behind France and Switzerland, and as a result, the South American country was eliminated in the group stage.

Ibrahim Sangaré becomes the second former ex-PSV player from Ivory Coast who will represent his country at the World Cup of football. Arouna Koné, who was a player for PSV from 2005 to 2007, had in 2006 the honor of representing his country during Ivory Coast's debut at the World Cup.

Ivory Coast was eliminated in the group stage after defeats against Argentina (2-1) and the Netherlands (2-1). The last group match against (then still) Serbia and Montenegro was won by Ivory Coast 3-2 despite trailing 0-2.