The sun has set over Doha, enveloping the Al-Thumama Stadium in garnet gleams for a moment. Like an echo of the colors sported by the supporters of Qatar who came to encourage their team on Friday 25 November. Beaten and ghostly in the opening match (0-2 against Ecuador), the host country showed a better face against Senegal, for its second match in the competition. But, defeated by the Lions of Teranga (1-3) and collateral victims of the draw between the Netherlands and Ecuador (1-1), the players of Felix Sanchez Bas are eliminated from “their” World Cup . The Qataris join South Africa in history, until then the only host country to have been eliminated in the first round.
In a stadium committed to their cause, however, they will have tried everything on Friday to turn the tide and prolong the adventure. Otherwise more enterprising than against Ecuador, the partners of Akram Afif in the legs have multiplied the offensives, initially messy.
In tune, the atmosphere of the Al-Thumama stadium, on the outskirts of Doha, had nothing to do with that of the prestigious Al-Bayt, where the opening ceremony took place. Pointed out for having largely evaporated during the first match of the World Cup – once Ecuador won – the spectators were present this time. Between the Senegalese drums at the incessant rhythm and the applause of the Qataris, the enclosure celebrated the 22 players throughout the match.
A vengeful Senegal
A few hours after Iran’s victory against Wales (2-0), Felix Sanchez Bas’s players proved the coach of their Saudi neighbors right. Hervé Renard is not only an outstanding “motivator” of troops, as shown by his speech at halftime in Argentina-Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (1-2). The coach in the white shirt is also transformed into a sales representative for Arab and Asian football. “There was a lot of criticism against Qatar for the opening game. I can tell you that I have been in Asia for three years, and this team was Asian champion in 2019. So they completely missed their opening game, maybe too much pressure, but they were better than that”defended the French coach.
But if Qatar was keen to redeem itself after a failed entry, so did its opponent. From the outset, Senegal tried to make people forget their unsuccessful inaugural performance against the Netherlands (0-2). More enterprising and more precise, the partners of Idrissa Gueye, author of a shot just missing the target half an hour into the game, were rewarded at the end of the first period.
A completely missed intervention by the Qatari central defender Boualem Khoukhi, on a hardly dangerous ball, offered the ball to Boulaye Dia. Too happy with the windfall, the striker took advantage of the failed clearance – accompanied by a slide – to adjust Meshaal Barsham (0-1, 41e). A cold shower in an air-conditioned stadium. Especially since, as soon as the recovery, rebelote. On a corner, Famara Diedhiou doubled the lead (0-2, 48e). A surprise starter, the Alanyaspor (Turkey) striker honored the choice of his coach, Aliou Cissé.
Qatar’s first World Cup goal
The Al-Annabi, who unsuccessfully claimed a penalty late in the first half after Akram Afif infiltrated the box, then pushed hard. Dominating in the second half, the teammates of Franco-Qatari Karim Boudiaf multiplied the opportunities. They who had not framed a single shot in the first game (and the first period of the second) came up against a solid Edouard Mendy in his cages.
The Senegalese goalkeeper, who had missed his debut in the World Cup, made two high-class saves against a shot from Almoez Ali then on a header from Ismaeel Mohammad. The third attempt on target was good for the Qataris. And history will remember that it was Mohammed Muntari, freshly entered the game, who scored his country’s first goal in the World Cup (1-2, 78e). Drunk with joy, the stadium began to believe in a possible reversal of the situation. But a goal from Bamba Dieng (1-3, 84e), taking advantage of a Qatari defense that was not very concentrated, put an end to hopes.
In a somewhat sad end to the match, in front of stands that were depopulated, Senegal signed the first victory of an African country in this World Cup. For Qatar, the night has fallen, the hopes of the round of 16 too.