Qatar 2022 World Cup | Senegal revives by beating Qatar (3-1), on the verge of elimination

Senegal is recovering, Qatar is not moving forward. The Teranga Lions clinched their first victory at the 2022 World Cup by dominating the host of the competition on the second day of Group A (3-1). In this duel between two formations beaten for their first match, the men of Aliou Cissé logically made the difference by Boulaye Dia (41st) then Famara Diédhiou (48th). The Qataris reacted thanks to Mohammed Muntari (78th) but the Marseillais Bamba Dieng (84th) sheltered the African champions who can once again aspire to a place in the round of 16 before the meeting between the Netherlands and Ecuador (5 p.m.).

Without Cheikhou Kouyaté, injured in the first match, but with Diedhiou in attack alongside Dia, the Senegalese entered this crucial meeting with a great offensive desire. Faced with a compact Qatari block, their ambitions however came up against certain tactical limits in the animation with side not present enough. Aliou Cissé’s men still felt the excitement of the opposing goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham, holder in place of Saad Al-Sheeb, disappointing at the start of the tournament.

No penalty for Qatar

Nampalys Mendy (9th), Diedhiou (17th), Idrissa Gueye (24th) however did not frame their attempts. Still tense, Senegal even almost got trapped when the very interesting Akram Afif tumbled into Edouard Mendy’s area and collapsed following contact with Ismaila Sarr, who came back to defend awkwardly (34th). Spanish referee M. Mateu Lahoz and his VAR assistants curiously didn’t whistle anything and the Teranga Lions got away with it very well. They opened the scoring a few minutes later thanks to a recovery from Dia following a completely failed defensive intervention by Boualem Khoukhi at the penalty spot (0-1, 41st).

Put into orbit by the former Rémois, the Senegalese made the break just after the recovery on a corner from Ismail Jakobs taken over with a superb header uncrossed by Diedhiou (0-2, 48th). However, they then gave up the ball to the Qataris who were much more aggressive than in their opening match and who started to play higher.

Mendy recovers

Abdelkarim Hassan just missed the clibe (61st), Almoez Ali then asked Edouard Mendy (63rd). Guilty against the Netherlands (0-2 defeat), the Senegalese goalkeeper showed that he had regained his qualities by diverting a curious recovery at close range from Ismaeel Mohammad (67th). The former goalkeeper of Rennais, on the other hand, could do nothing against the head of the incoming Mohammed Muntari, author of the first Qatari goal in this World Cup (1-2, 78th).

The Qataris regained hope and the suspense was revived but Dieng quickly extinguished it by taking advantage of a service from Iliman Ndiaye to deceive Barsham from close range (1-3, 84th). Thanks to its attackers, Senegal is back in the race for the round of 16. This is not the case for the host country, which will have to hope for a miracle.