Pervis Estupinan reckons that Ecuadorians have had their faith restored in their international team thanks to the current squad.
Ecuador’s tournament begins on Sunday, as they play in the opening game against the hosts Qatar.
Pervis, as well as Moises Caicedo and Jeremy Sarmiento, will be aiming to help their country to a win in Group A and do their fellow Ecuadorians proud.
“When we were kids and watched our countrymen play in the World Cup, the feeling we got was indescribable,” Pervis reflected. “Nowadays, we have a very young squad, with some other experienced players.
“I believe we’ve given hope to our country. That's what the fans have conveyed to us in the games we've played in Ecuador – our faithful fans have given us their full support.
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“Not only are we excited for this amazing tournament, the World Cup, but our people are too. They’re very much looking forward to our tournament kicking off, to see what we’re capable of and we’re very aware of that. That’s why we’ll use that support to motivate us, so that we can deliver our best performance.”
The defender has been delighted with the support Albion fans have shown our Ecuadorian players.
“Every time we play at home, Brighton’s stadium is full of Ecuadorian flags. Since the very first moment I arrived here, and played the first fixture in our stadium, I noticed the stadium was covered with Ecuadorian flags.
“That means we’re doing a good job and we’re so thankful for them backing us in this beautiful competition. We will try our best to get the most out of our players and represent Brighton in the right way.”