Eighteen-year-old Rikelme Angulo scored his first goal for Ecuador, marking a historic moment for the national team. The Sunderland player has become Ecuador's third youngest goalscorer, despite not yet making his debut for the English club's first team.
Angulo found the net in a friendly match against Panama. He entered the fray after half-time, replacing Jordy Caicedo, and just 12 minutes later, he had the ball in the back of the net.
This was only Angulo's third appearance for the senior national team, all of which he has made from the bench during the current international window.
At the time of scoring, Angulo was 18 years, 8 months, and 22 days old. He joins Kendre Paez and former Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo as the only younger players to score for Ecuador.
Notably, this international stint marks Angulo's first call-up to the national side, as Marcelo Gallardo selected him following the retirement of Enner Valencia.
Rikelme's goal also turned out to be Ecuador’s first under Gallardo, with the team failing to find the net in their two previous matches with the Argentine at the helm.
Also part of the squad was 22-year-old Nilson Angulo from Sunderland, who spoke about the coach's initial demands:
We’re looking to change a lot, but we’re still holding onto some things from the previous phase because we’ve known each other for a long time.
The coach asks us to stay true to ourselves, to fight for every ball, and to be brave in every moment. We will adapt from match to match.
During regular time, Ecuador drew 1-1 with Panama, later losing on penalties. For Sunderland, this match further highlighted that two of their promising young talents are thriving in Gallardo's revamped national squad, sparking hopes for a potential look-in for them in the Premier League.
