Daquilema Fc

Édison Méndez had played three World Cups and stood among the more recognisable names to come out of Ecuadorian football when, in July 2024, he was announced as head coach at Daquilema FC, taking over from Héctor "Pipa" González. It drew attention accordingly.

Daquilema had existed for less than four years at that point. Formally founded on 5 November 2020 in Riobamba, the club took its name and identity from the region's indigenous heritage, adopting the nickname Los Pueblos Milenarios and presenting itself explicitly as a representative of that community rather than as a conventional city side. It plays its home matches at the Estadio Olímpico de Riobamba, also known as the Estadio Olímpico Fernando Guerrero, whose listed capacity varies by source but is most commonly given as 14,400 for top-flight and international fixtures.

On the pitch, the club's rise has been gradual and, until recently, incomplete. Daquilema finished runner-up in the Segunda Categoría de Chimborazo in both 2023 and 2024, losing the provincial final on each occasion to CD Olmedo — the same club against which most of its competitive fixtures in the region are played. In 2025, Daquilema beat Olmedo in the final to win the provincial title for the first time, a result that carried it into the Ascenso Nacional play-offs. Its record at national level remains modest: a semi-final appearance in the 2023 Ascenso Nacional, followed by early exits in 2024 and 2025. In the Copa Ecuador, the club has not gone beyond the last 16, but reached that stage in 2026 by eliminating Emelec before losing in the following round.

With Méndez still in charge and Johvani Ibarra on his staff, Daquilema's task now is to convert last year's provincial title into a lasting foothold above the Segunda Categoría.