Ecuador's Pervis Estupinan
Ecuador's Pervis Estupinan Image Credit: AFP

Dubai: We all know about the evils of social media, but on Wednesday night, the good side of the platform shone through as Ecuador defender Pervis Estupinan found his lost passport after fans responded to an internet appeal. Estupinan faced missing his match for Villarreal against Real Madrid this weekend after he lost his travel documents on Tuesday, the day he scored a goal in Ecuador’s 6-1 win over Colombia in Quito. Maybe — just maybe — there is hope for social media after a Twitter appeal helped him locate the passport and make his flight to Spain.

The 22-year old Villarreal player posted a happy picture on social media of him surrounded by what looked like an extended family.

“Thanks to your help I managed to recover my most important bag and my passport,” Estupinan wrote on Twitter. “May God bless you all.”

He had earlier asked for help in locating three black bags and his passport with the hashtag #LasMalasdePervis or Pervis’s luggage. Estupinan planned to leave Ecuador on Wednesday and return to Spain, where Villarreal face Real Madrid in a La Liga match on Saturday.

He scored the sixth goal in Ecuador’s stunning win over Colombia, their heaviest defeat since 1977. The win took Ecuador into third place in the South American World Cup qualifying group with nine points from four games, behind Brazil and Argentina.