Senegal led 2-0 against Belgium, but conceded two late goals, including a controversial penalty, which led to their elimination from the World Cup.
Senegal seemed to be on their way to the World Cup quarter-finals, but a series of dramatic events turned the tide of the match. Coach Pape Thiaw saw his team take a 2-0 lead against 2018 semi-finalists Belgium thanks to goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr. However, within a few minutes, the Senegalese dream was shattered.
Belgium reopened the match with a goal from Romelu Lukaku in the 86th minute, followed by Youri Tielemans' equalizer three minutes later, following a cross from Leandro Trossard. This forced the match into extra time.
The situation became even more tense when, after a VAR review, the referee awarded Belgium a penalty for a foul by Lamine Camara on Tielemans, who scored the decisive goal in the 125th minute. The decision sparked a lot of controversy, with many questioning whether the contact actually deserved a penalty.
"Football is crazy. I could never have predicted an ending like this," commented former England striker Dion Dublin.
Senegal suffered another disappointment as they were stripped of their title as African Champions earlier in the year. "It's painful to be eliminated like this. We did our best, but we couldn't maintain the two-goal lead," Thiaw said.
Now Belgium is preparing to face the United States in the round of 16, and the old glories of the team, such as Courtois, De Bruyne and Lukaku, demonstrate that they can still make the difference, despite the difficulties of the tournament.
"In football, anything is possible if you believe in it," added Garcia, the Belgian coach, as Senegal retreated with a bitter taste in their mouths and memories of a shattered dream.
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