Cruel end for Senegal in Seattle at World Cup
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SEATTLE, July 1 : Senegal coach Pape Thiaw described football as a "cruel game" after his side's late collapse and eventual defeat by Belgium following extra time in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday.
Senegal looked to be a few minutes from confidently dispatching their opponents with a 2-0 win when Belgium equalised with two goals in three minutes and then won 3-2 with a Youri Tielemans penalty late in the extra period.
Senegal had faced controversy coming into the World Cup.
They were controversially stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title for protesting a penalty decision by leaving the field just before full-time in the final with Morocco in January before returning to win 1-0 after the spot kick was missed.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
On Wednesday, several Senegal players were visibly upset when Belgium was given a penalty late in extra time.
It was awarded for Lamine Camara's sliding challenge on Tielemans following a lengthy VAR review.
"We believed that there was no penalty," Thiaw said. "The players tried to challenge the decision. It's their right.
"And then the penalty was taken - and this is the reason why we are now eliminated."
It was Senegal's game to lose with a 2-0 lead in the 85th minute, he said. "However, a football match is not an 85-minute one. Belgium came back, and we were not able to deal with that."
Senegal lost focus when Belgium showed late spark in the match, defender Krepin Diatta told reporters.
"We were determined to write some beautiful pages in the history of our football in this World Cup, and we have to accept that we failed in this mission," he said. "Given what we offered, we shouldn't have lost this match."
Belgium on Monday face the winners of the United States-Bosnia match being played later on Wednesday.
Newsletter
Recommended Read
Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read
A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app