Nayely Bolanos wants Ecuador to advance from the preliminary phase of the 2027 Women's World Cup play-offs, beginning in Rabat on November 28. Speaking to FIFA, the Club Leon forward said the team had benefited from more time working with coach Eva Espejo.
Qualification still requires two stages
Six teams are competing for two places in February's decisive phase. That later stage determines the final three World Cup berths, so advancing in Morocco would not itself secure Ecuador a place in Brazil.
Bolanos discussed Ghana, South Africa and Chinese Taipei as difficult opponents. She wants a strong opening against Ghana before taking the tournament one match at a time, warning that a defeat could leave Ecuador dependent on other results.
A World Cup return after 12 years would be particularly meaningful for the 23-year-old, who was 12 when Ecuador played in the 2015 tournament.
Lessons from reaching the play-offs
Bolanos scored three of Ecuador's eight Nations League goals, including the winner in a 2-1 victory away to Chile. The campaign still produced a tense finish: after losing to Argentina, Ecuador needed Colombia's 4-3 win over Paraguay to retain their opportunity.
She said Espejo had only two training sessions before the Chile match in June. More preparation time has since helped the players understand the coach's demands, and Bolanos has maintained contact while playing in Mexico.
She described a compact team that uses transitions effectively. The next task is to complete preparations for the opener in Rabat, with progress from the preliminary phase the immediate objective before any World Cup berth can be decided.