Senegal’s FIFA World Cup journey concluded in the round of 32 following a controversial penalty decision in the final moments of their match against Belgium in Seattle on Wednesday. The “Lions of Teranga” experienced a dramatic turn of events, going from a 2-0 lead to a 3-2 defeat.
The decisive moment occurred at the end of the second period of extra time, with the score tied at 2-2 and a penalty shootout looming. Honduran referee Said Martinez awarded a penalty to Belgium after a VAR review, following a challenge by Senegal’s Lamine Camara on Belgian captain Youri Tielemans.
The platform “Archivo VAR,” which specializes in analyzing refereeing decisions, stated that VAR intervened excessively. According to their analysis, it was Tielemans who extended his foot in front of Camara, initiating the contact. The platform further noted that the incident did not warrant VAR intervention, as the Belgian player forced the contact, and the situation did not present a clear and obvious error necessary to justify the referee reviewing the decision.
The decision sparked significant controversy across social media. Many fans expressed strong opinions, with one describing it as “100% robbery” and suggesting that Senegal had been unfairly eliminated. Another fan commented that it was “never a penalty,” arguing that Camara was attempting to clear the ball when Tielemans moved into his path.
Spanish sports journalist Manolo Lama remarked on the perceived injustice, stating that “They stole the Africa Cup of Nations from them, and now they’re stealing all the solidarity with Senegal at the World Cup too.” Egyptian journalist Mohamed Saeed drew parallels to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, suggesting the penalty was a “harsh lesson” for Senegal.
After the penalty was awarded, Tielemans successfully converted it, scoring Belgium’s third goal and completing an unexpected comeback. This goal, scored in the 125th minute, marked the latest goal in the tournament’s history.
Senegal’s Early Dominance and Late Collapse
For much of the match, Senegal appeared to be in control, holding a two-goal lead for 85 minutes and seemingly securing a spot in the round of 16. Goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr had given Senegal their advantage with just five minutes remaining in normal time.
However, Belgium mounted a late comeback with strikes from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, sending the match into extra time. The dramatic turn of events left Senegal’s players devastated.
Defender Krepin Diatta acknowledged the team’s failure, stating, “We were at the heart of writing the beautiful pages of the history of our football in this world. And we have to accept that we failed at our mission.” Midfielder Habib Diarra echoed this sentiment, expressing his devastation and noting that the team did not give their all for the full 90 minutes.
Belgium’s Historic Comeback
Belgium’s victory marked a significant comeback, overturning a two-goal deficit in the knockout phase of the World Cup. This was the second time in the last 11 World Cups that a team trailed by two or more goals in the knockout stage and still advanced, with Belgium achieving a similar feat against Japan in the 2018 edition.
Youri Tielemans expressed pride in his role in the comeback, particularly for scoring the last two goals. He noted that he was fouled with mere seconds remaining before the penalty shootout, leading to the spot kick after a video review, despite protests from the Senegalese players.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw chose not to interpret the referee’s decision, stating that interpretations of penalty awards can differ. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, while happy with the win, conceded that “Senegal deserved to win.” Belgium will now face co-host USA in the round of 16, following USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Source: aljazeera.com
