Ecuador learns ‘hard lesson’ after elimination: Soccer chief

Quito, June 24: President of Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) Luis Chiriboga has said the national team's elimination from the Copa America 2015 was a "hard lesson" for the team.

"Hopefully this very hard and sad lesson will teach Ecuador to never again be overconfident and enter with an attitude from the first minute of every match they play," Chiriboga said, Xinhua news agency reported. 

Ecuador was knocked out of the tournament after defeats against Chile (2-0) and Bolivia (3-2) and a victory against Mexico (2-1) in Group A.

This was the sixth consecutive time that the South American team have failed to make it past the Copa America group stages.

"You get what you deserve. We (Ecuador) were careless in the first half against Bolivia. We had a score that we probably didn't deserve (Bolivia were leading 3-0) but it made us wake up to reality. In the second half we woke up and we were a different Ecuador but we couldn't catch up," said the FEF President.

"The best preparation for the (World Cup 2018 Russia) qualifying rounds would have been to do well in the Copa America. This is what we wanted (but) unfortunately we missed that opportunity," added Chiriboga.

"We hope Ecuador will be a strong team that will fight from the first match until the last one with all the possibilities of qualifying once again for the World Cup," he added.