Doha (AFP) - Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro said on Monday his side's strong showing at the World Cup was proof of a narrowing gap between football's traditional powerhouses and the chasing pack.
Ecuador sit level on points and goal difference with the Netherlands at the top of Group A and need only to avoid defeat against Senegal on Tuesday to secure a last-16 place.
"(I can) see an evolution -- a big evolution --- from the teams," Alfaro told a pre-match press conference.
"Before there was a very marked difference between the favourites and the rest, but suddenly we are seeing evenly matched games.
"This is how growth works -- the growth of Asian football, African football, South American football."
Ecuador cruised past hosts Qatar 2-0 in the World Cup curtainraiser, before drawing with the Netherlands 1-1 despite outplaying the European giants for much of the match.
The South Americans will top the group if they avoid defeat and better the Netherlands' result against Qatar.
They have only once before reached the knockout phase, losing 1-0 in the last 16 to England in 2006 when David Beckham scored a free-kick.
"One of the strengths of Ecuador is that we were able to transform the things we need to transform," said Alfaro.
"We needed to grow up.
"We kept our physical skills and our natural skills, but we knew we needed to do things differently, because there are other national teams that are doing things better than us."
Star striker and captain Enner Valencia, who has scored each of Ecuador's three goals in Qatar, is struggling with a knee injury but Alfaro expects him to play.
"He has a knee sprain but he has a big heart and he wants to be in every battle for our national team."
Alfaro, 60, promised the team would "try and play the best World Cup in Ecuadoran history", while emphasising his side's "great future" in the game.
"We respect the pecking order, but we do not need to be fearful.We are creating our own pathway."
