The footballing minnows of Ecuador insist they have "no fear" as they gear up for the match of their lives against England.

And as the heat hovered in the mid-eighties just 24 hours before the scheduled 5pm local kick-off time coach Luis Fernando Suarez called on his team to embrace what he believes is their destiny.

Victory would be the first time a minor footballing nation had beaten England in the World Cup since the USA back in 1950.

Said Suarez, who oversaw their final training session on Saturday evening: "It is the most important challenge of our lives and if we win it will be the most important result.

"We have a good feeling, there is a good atmosphere in the squad. There is no fear."

The Ecuadoreans have already beaten Costa Rica and Poland in the group phase before fielding a weakened team against Germany when they lost 3-0.

Tomorrow, however, strikers Carlos Tenorio and record goal-scorer Agustin Delgado, rested for that defeat when qualification for the knockout phase was already assured, return along with captain Ivan Hurtado and midfielder Segundo Castillo.

Delgado, 31, scored two goals in the first two games, won the man-of-the-match award both times and is the biggest threat to England's progression at this tournament.

It is all a far cry from the time when Delgado cost Southampton £4m, featured in a dozen games, scored one Premiership goal, against Arsenal, but left the south-coast club after a host of injuries.

He now plays back home in Ecuador but will retire from international football following the World Cup as his country's record scorer - he has 31 at present. First he wants to prove to an English audience that solitary goal was no fluke.

Delgado, who admits football has been a road to salvation, says: "You have to give way to the youngsters on the way up. And playing for the national side takes too much out of you, demands too much time and travelling around. I'll not continue beyond the World Cup."

The allegation levelled at Suarez's side has always been that they could only play at the altitude of the Chota Valley back home, where they beat Brazil and Argentina in qualifying games.

But after reaching the last 16 for the first time they have answered those accusations and see the match against England as the final confirmation of how far their 13 million-strong nation has come.

The burning heat here in the Gottleib-Daimler stadium, much hotter on Saturday for instance than the afternoon England wilted against Brazil in Japan four years ago, could prove a problem for Wayne Rooney, in particular, who is set to play as a lone striker.

Says Ecuador's Aston Villa defender Ulises de la Cruz: "Everyone is motivated and focused on causing a surprise. We know England are a good team with good players.

"England are 70 per cent to win but the 30 per cent for Ecuador is important.

"That is why England have the pressure on them."