ACTUALITE |
16.06.2002
Senegal 2 Sweden 1
A brilliant golden goal from Henri Camara midway through extra-time sealed Senegal`s place in the World Cup quarter-finals at the expense of Sweden after a pulsating encounter in the Oita Big Eye stadium on Sunday.
The Sedan forward jinked his way into the penalty area before placing a low shot off the post and into the bottom corner of Magnus Hedman`s net. The goal was hard to take for Sweden, who had hit the post through Anders Svensson just moments earlier.
Sweden had begun the match the livlier of the two sides and squandered a glorious opportunity to take the lead after just three minutes when Anders Svensson caught the Senegal defence out with a clever free-kick.
The Southampton midfielder shaped to shoot before playing Olof Mellberg in on the right. The defender hit a crisp low shot towards the far post which was well saved by the boot of goalkeeper Tony Sylva, but the rebound fell kindly to Magnus Svensson who sliced hopelessly wide from the angle.
Senegal looked nervous at the back and they were duly punished by Henrik Larsson in the 11th minute. The Celtic hitman beat Sylva to Anders Svensson`s left-wing corner to head Sweden into the lead with his third goal of the tournament.
Bruno Metsu`s team soon got a foothold in the game and Papa Bouba Diop thought that he had scored in the 25th minute. Diouf turned Mellberg inside out on the left side of the penalty area before screwing his shot across Hedman`s goal for the on-rushing Diop to turn home. The linesman, however, controversially ruled that the Lens midfielder was offside.
Senegal continued to force the play, winning a string of corners and putting Sweden under some serious pressure.
They were eventually rewarded for their persistance eight minutes before the break when Camara struck a superb equaliser. The pacy forward controlled the ball on his chest 25-yards out before hitting an accurate right-footed shot across Hedman and into the bottom-left corner.
Senegal had the bit between their teeth and Camara should have netted a second just moments later when Pape Thiaw delivered an inviting cross from the left, but this time he headed wastefully wide.
In the 41st minute, Anders Svensson tested the agility of Sylva at the other end with a curling free-kick from distance but the Monaco keeper was equal to the challenge.
Sweden started the second half strongly with Anders Svensson finding plenty of space to pull the strings in midfield.
The talented playmaker missed an excellent chance in the 57th minute after Allback had headed Magnus Svensson`s pin-point cross into his path. Anders Svensson could have taken an extra touch but opted to hit the ball first time and his volley flew hopelessly wide.
Diouf was fortunate to stay out of the referee`s notebook on the hour when he tried to force Ferdinand Coly`s far-post cross into the net with his hand. The Lens striker almost scored legitimately seven minutes later but his 20-yard free kick was palmed over the bar by Hedman.
Sweden substitute Andreas Andersson could have had an immediate impact as he was played into space on the right side of the area by Larsson in the 71st minute but the AIK forward blasted wastefully wide of the target.
Eight minutes later, it was the turn of another Sweden substitute to go close. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he was released down the right. The Ajax forward cut inside before greedily opting to shoot from an acute angle with Larsson screaming for a cross in the centre, and Sylva made a comfortable save.
Thiaw saw his header drift agonisingly wide in the closing stages, but there was little to choose between the two teams as the match became the first in the World Cup to go into extra-time.
Sweden were unlucky not to grab the golden goal in the fifth minute. Anders Svensson could not believe his luck when he turned skilfully inside the area and crashed a right-footed shot against the Senegal post with Sylva well beaten.
But it was Senegal who had the final say, as Camara burst through from midfield and found the perfect finish to ensure that Senegal become the first African side to qualify for the last eight of the World Cup since Cameroon in 1990.
Sweden: Hedman, Mellberg, Mjallby, Jakobsson, Lucic, Linderoth, Alexandersson (Ibrahimovic 76), M Svensson (Jonsson 100), A Svensson, Allback (A Andersson 65), Larsson
Senegal: Sylva, Daf, P M Diop (Beye 66), Cisse, Diatta, Coly, Faye, P B Diop, Camara, Diouf, Thiaw
Booked: Coly, Thiaw (Senegal)
Referee: A Ubaldo (Paraguay)
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