This time Senegal’s players did not depart the field prematurely owing to a burning sense of injustice, as they did in the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, but they did exit another knockout match aggrieved after Belgium advanced to the last 16 deep in extra time. The winning goal, a nerveless Youri Tielemans penalty which capped an extraordinary comeback from 2-0 down, came with 124 minutes and 44 seconds on the clock, cementing its place as the latest goal in World Cup history.
A penalty shootout appeared all but a formality until the referee, Saíd Martínez, wandered towards the video review monitor, an audience of players awaiting the verdict on Lamine Camara swiping Tielemans’s left ankle in the seconds before Dodi Lukébakio skimmed the crossbar. Romelu Lukaku bounced the ball on the edge of the box as Senegal’s players swamped the penalty spot; Pathé Ciss curled in a heap in an attempt to delay the spot-kick for as long as possible. Rudi Garcia could not watch, turning his back on the sidelines before Tielemans seized on Belgium’s get out of jail card to tee up a last-16 meeting with the USA here on Monday. A tearful Camara was inconsolable at the final whistle, his green shirt still covering his face as he headed down the tunnel.
