Walter Ayovi: 'World Cup exit is tough to take'

Ecuador midfielder Walter Ayovi has said that his country's exit from the World Cup has been "tough to take".

The South Americans finished third in Group E behind France and Switzerland, with their four points not enough to make it through to the last 16.

"It's very difficult to analyse our performance in our final game now that we've been knocked out," he told FIFA.com.

"We're really upset and the saddest thing is to be left with the feeling that we have to go home just as we were getting to grips with how to play at a World Cup.

"We knew that's what this kind of short tournament is like but even so it's still tough to take."

Ecuador were participating in their third World Cup, having first qualified for the tournament in 2002.