Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw described football as a “cruel game” after his side suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 extra-time defeat to Belgium in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
The Lions of Teranga looked to be cruising into the last 16 after opening up a 2-0 lead and holding that advantage until the closing stages of normal time. However, Belgium mounted a remarkable comeback, scoring twice in the space of three minutes before Youri Tielemans converted a dramatic late penalty in extra time to complete the turnaround.
The decisive penalty came after a lengthy VAR review. Referee Martinez awarded Belgium a spot kick following Lamine Camara’s sliding challenge on Tielemans late in extra time. The decision sparked angry protests from several Senegal players, who believed the challenge did not warrant a penalty.
“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.”
The defeat added to another painful chapter for Senegal, who were controversially stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year after protesting a penalty decision in the final against Morocco. The team briefly walked off the pitch before returning to complete the match, eventually winning 1-0 after the penalty was missed.
Reflecting on Wednesday’s collapse, Thiaw admitted his team failed to see out the game despite being in complete control with only minutes remaining.
“It was our game to lose because we were leading 2-0 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.”
The Senegal coach also defended his substitutions after questions emerged about the changes made during the closing stages of the match.
“The substitutions? Some of them were mainly requests from players who couldn’t go on any longer. They were tired. Once you lose after leading 2–0, people are bound to talk about the substitutes, but we shouldn’t focus on that because it was more a matter of physical fitness than tactics.”
Defender Krépin Diatta also struggled to hide his disappointment after Senegal’s dramatic exit. He admitted the team lost concentration when Belgium found momentum late in the contest and believed the result did not reflect their overall performance.
“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’s remarkable comeback secured their place in the World Cup last 16, where they will face the United States for a place in the quarter-finals. Senegal, meanwhile, leave the tournament wondering how a commanding position slipped away in one of the most dramatic knockout matches of the competition.
