Bolivia aims to win the first qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup, after two consecutive defeats against Brazil (5-1, away in Belén) and Argentina (3-0, in La Paz). The green team is in last place in the Conmebol standings, although it did not start the competition with three points deducted like its next rivals, Ecuador (punished by TAS for the Byron Castillo case).

These two beatings forced Argentine coach Gustavo Costas to publicly rebuke his students, and he also used the suspension of the local tournament (due to internal problems related to an investigation into alleged corruption) to pre-empt the Altiplano team’s training.

“We have to apologize to the people, we have to be ashamed”, lamented Gustavo Costas, the head coach of Bolivia, after losing to Argentina in La Paz

the newspaperfrom La Paz, says this Tuesday, regarding the first training held last Monday, that “after coach Gustavo Costas recognized that the players had reduced their performance, taking as a reference what happened against Argentina (0-3), the work of the green team it starts from scratch, looking at the technical and tactical aspects that were seen before the matches against Brazil and Argentina, without neglecting the physical part.”

The note also states that, “with minutes against, the senior team carries more weight to arrive in better football conditions for the duel against Ecuador, a tough rival and thirsty for points in La Paz, due to the penalty “Subtraction of minus three units that he could have paid by winning against Uruguay (2-1), now looking to move up the table.”

‘Qualification for Bolivia starts with Ecuador,’ says Xabier Azkargorta, the coach who led those from the highlands to the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Bolivian emergency

The 60-year-old coach, a champion of Ecuador with Barcelona SC in 2012, said of the job he is doing before hosting the Tricolor on October 12: “We have to start improving many things that we have been doing well”. With a group of 25 players, Costas did this first working day with urgency to raise the mood and performance of the selected players, because every time the calendar narrows, and there are still 16 days left until the match with Ecuador.

The Ecuador national team and the next opponent: Bolivia, a disaster that vegetates in the qualifications

In a note from the newspaper Costas’ firm opinion on Bolivia’s performance against Brazil and Argentina is echoed: “Suddenly, especially against Argentina, we took ten steps back again.” The news reports that the coach made that statement “at the door of the national team’s gathering hotel. These first five days of work will be dedicated to correcting these deficiencies and ensuring that they are reunited with the virtues that the coaching staff spoke of earlier.”

So far in the 21st century, in Ecuador’s six appearances in La Paz as part of South American qualifiers, Bolivia has failed to win. The Tricolori took 14 of the 18 contested points from La Paz, thanks to three wins and two draws. (D)