In a dramatic turn of events, Belgium clinched their spot in the World Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday, July 1st, overcoming Senegal with a decisive penalty converted in the dying moments of extra time, securing a 3-2 victory.
Senegal had held a comfortable two-goal lead until the 85th minute, with strikes from Habib Diarra in the 24th and Ismaïla Sarr in the 51st. However, the Belgian squad staged a remarkable late surge. Consecutive goals from Romelu Lukaku in the 86th minute and Youri Tielemans in the 89th saw the Red Devils dramatically equalize, pushing the intense match into extra time.
The encounter had been anticipated as unpredictable, given that both teams had displayed inconsistent form leading up to this point, each recording two draws and one victory in their previous matches.
Senegal launched a fierce offensive from the start, putting the Belgian defense under immense pressure. The towering Red Devils and Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois (1m99), could only get a fingertip to a cross from Ismail Jakobs, set up by Sadio Mané, before Ismaïla Sarr’s follow-up shot struck the post in the 13th minute. Habib Diarra finally broke the deadlock in the 24th minute. Following another relentless cross from Mané on the left flank, Sarr’s header once again rattled the post, but the 22-year-old Diarra was quickest to react, slotting home the rebound.
Belgium’s unexpected resurgence
At halftime, Belgian coach Rudi Garcia, a Frenchman, implemented drastic tactical changes, withdrawing Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, and Jérémy Doku, and introducing Romelu Lukaku. However, these adjustments didn’t yield immediate results, as Senegal extended their lead with another goal from Ismaïla Sarr.
The second-half cooling break proved aptly named, given the apparent tension between Belgian captain Youri Tielemans and his teammate Leandro Trossard. Yet, from that friction emerged a fierce determination. Ismail Jakobs’ long-range effort first grazed Diaw’s top corner in the 77th minute. Then, Romelu Lukaku finally found the net in the 86th minute, the Belgian’s leading World Cup scorer with six goals, reigniting hope for his entire squad. Just three minutes later, Tielemans headed home the equalizer, bringing Belgium level in the 89th minute.
What began as a subdued extra time period erupted into frantic action in its final moments. Belgian Dodi Lukébakio saw his powerful shot deflect off the crossbar in the 117th minute. However, a penalty awarded after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review for an irregular tackle provided captain Tielemans with the opportunity to secure the dramatic victory for Belgium.
“In football, anything is possible as long as you believe,” remarked coach Rudi Garcia after the match. “The strength of this squad also comes from the players who come off the bench, because you cannot achieve results with just eleven men.”
Belgium, who reached the semi-finals in 2018 but faced a group stage exit four years ago, are now set to compete in the Round of 16 on July 7th, where they will face either the United States or Bosnia-Herzegovina.
For the Senegalese players, their fourth World Cup appearance concludes with a match that will undoubtedly leave them with profound regrets, perhaps akin to their forfeiture of the previous Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco. Coach Pape Thiaw stated, “We are eliminated, and it hurts deeply. We must commend the team for giving their absolute all, but unfortunately, we were unable to maintain our lead.”
