African pride
... as Senegal march into World Cup last 16
KALIDOU Koulibaly's nerveless volley sent Senegal into the World Cup's knockout stages for only the second time in their history as they eliminated Ecuador at a rowdy Khalifa International Stadium.
All three goals came from players based in England as Ecuador's Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo cancelled out a penalty by Watford's Ismaila Sarr before Chelsea defender Koulibaly's side-footer won it.
Ecuador needed just a point to progress but paid the price for a passive display as Senegal were spurred on by an almost non-stop cacophony of drumming from their supporters in Al Rayyan.
Watford winger Sarr coolly stroked home from the spot, after being clumsily upended by Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie, to put the African champions deservedly ahead.
Ecuador levelled with their first real chance as Caicedo swept home Felix Torres' flick-on, but Koulibaly's composed finish immediately regained the lead for Senegal, who knew only victory would be enough to go through barring an unlikely Qatar upset against the Netherlands.
They held out amid a nervy six minutes of stoppage time to finish as runners-up in Group A behind the Dutch, who clinched top spot by handing the tournament hosts a third defeat in three games with a comfortable 2-0 win in Al Khor.
Aliou Cisse's side are potential last-16 opponents for England given the Lions of Teranga will next face the winners of Group B in a match that was to be played late last night.
Much has been made of the absence of Senegal talisman Sadio Mane from this tournament through injury, but they have found goals from elsewhere, their five thus far in Qatar all coming from different players.
They found swathes of space in and around the Ecuador area early on as the South Americans began nervily but Everton's Idrissa Gueye and Boulaye Dia both dragged excellent opportunities wide.
But Sarr, who had missed his two previous penalties for his club, showed composure from the spot to slot his side in front and their heads did not drop even when Caicedo levelled from a corner.
Victory secured a first last-16 appearance since 2002, when they shocked France in the opening game on their way to the quarterfinals and, before the game, Senegal dedicated their efforts to former Fulham and Portsmouth midfielder Papa Bouba Diop — scorer of the famous winner against the French — who died in 2020 aged 42.
They will, however, be without influential midfielder Gueye, who will miss the second round — and what would have been his 100th cap — after he picked up a second yellow card of the tournament.
suffer
Entertaining Ecuador stage fright
Many of Ecuador's players lay prostrate on the pitch at the final whistle, some in tears, devastated at letting slip their chance of progression — like Senegal they had only once previously negotiated the group stages.
They had rightly earned plaudits for their opening two games, having brushed aside Qatar and arguably been the better side in their 1-1 draw with the Dutch — but they failed to reproduce that level of performance under the pressure of a virtual winner-take-all environment.
Boss Gustavo Alfaro risked joint leading World Cup scorer Enner Valencia despite the three-goal forward being taken off on a stretcher late on against the Netherlands, and he failed to make any impact.
The four points they had accrued prior to the game meant Ecuador could play for a draw but they did not look like a side that had kept seven successive clean sheets earlier in 2022 and Senegal took full advantage.