Idrissa Gueye spoke calmly in the mixed zone after Belgium’s comeback, telling reporters that ‘it’s our destiny’ and that the team ‘just want to go to the hotel, get our belongings, and go home.’ The comments reflected a wider discontent surrounding the Teranga Lions at the close of an eventful World Cup, according to Ed Dove at the FIFA World Cup.
The tournament brought an abrupt end to an extraordinary six months for Senegal, who had won the Africa Cup of Nations in controversial circumstances and later had that title stripped. They nevertheless arrived in North America carrying the confidence of continental champions.
Their World Cup was far from a complete failure. Senegal held France until the 66th minute and created clear first-half chances through Nicolas Jackson and Ismaïla Sarr. They lost narrowly, 3-2, to Norway while showing attacking threat from Sarr, although Kalidou Koulibaly produced notable lapses and looked only partly fit across his two outings.
Senegal registered a landmark 5-0 victory over Iraq, aided by a 13th-minute red card to Rebin Sulaka. Their second-half performance was intense and clinical; they became the first African team to score five goals in a World Cup match and the first side in the tournament’s history to reach the knockouts after losing their opening two games. Only three teams scored more than Senegal during the group stage.
Against Belgium, Senegal took a 1-0 lead through Habib Diarra in the 25th minute and extended it when Sarr scored six minutes into the second half. Coach Pape Thiaw’s second-half substitutions, however, altered the match. He replaced Pape Gueye in the 66th minute with Lamine Camara — Gueye, who had scored twice against Iraq, has since withdrawn from the team until the current technical staff is replaced — and Camara was booked a minute after coming on. Camara, who entered around the 65th minute, lost possession repeatedly and was involved in the sequence that led to the decisive penalty from which Youri Tielemans scored in the 124th minute. Thiaw also substituted Diarra in the 73rd minute for Pape Matar Sarr, a change that removed a key pressing presence and ceded the initiative to Belgium.
