 Henri
Camara struck twice and snatched
only the second golden goal
winner in World Cup history
to earn Senegal a quarter-final
World Cup place after being
held 1-1 by Sweden at the end
of normal time.
Sweden took the lead through
Henrik Larsson's 11th-minute
header only for World Cup debutants
Senegal, who stunned holders
France 1-0 in the opening game
of the tournament, to equalise
through Camara eight minutes
before half time.
Camara then struck his second
104 minutes into the match with
a low drive into the bottom
left-hand corner of the net
off the post.
The only previous occasion
when a World Cup tie was settled
by a golden goal was four years
ago when France beat Paraguay
1-0 in the second round, with
central defender Laurent Blanc
grabbing the all-important strike
on the way to their eventual
title win.
Senegal are only the second
African nation, after Cameroon
in 1990, to reach the last eight.
Like Cameroon who beat world
champions Argentina in the opening
match in 1990, Senegal upset
the previous holders at the
start of the tournament.
The winners will now play Japan
or Turkey in the quarter-finals.
Whatever the result, a team
which has never reached the
semi-final of the World Cup
will qualify for the last four
here.
Lars Lagerback's Sweden had
come through a desperately difficult
group F involving England and
Argentina undefeated and went
ahead when prolific striker
Larsson headed home an Anders
Svensson corner.
It was the Swede's 24th goal
in 72 internationals but after
that the 1994 semi-finalists
lost their early momentum.
Senegal, Africa's only representatives
in the last 16, deservedly equalised
eight minutes before the interval.
Camara sidestepped Johan Mjallby's
challenge and drilled the ball
low into the bottom corner to
send the rhythmic rattle of
the drummers among Senegal's
fans into ecstatic overdrive
in the sweltering conditions
at the Big Eye stadium in western
Japan.
Senegal also had a Pape Boupa
Diop effort ruled out by a tight
offside decision as Sweden,
without injured midfielder Fredrik
Ljungberg who failed a late
fitness test, visibly wilted
in the heat as the first half
wore on.
Sweden improved at the start
of the second period and both
Marcus Allback and Anders Svensson
threatening to restore their
advantage.
Substitute Andreas Andersson
also fired wastefully over for
the Swedes after a good link
up with Larsson, while Senegal's
impressive El Hadji Diouf tested
Sweden goalkeeper Magnus Hedman
with a curling free kick.
With 10 minutes to go, Sweden
substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic
looked likely to break the deadlock,
cutting inside two defenders
and unleashing a powerful shot
which was well saved.
But with so much at stake and
the hot conditions making it
slow going for both sides, neither
goalkeeper was overly bothered
and golden goal extra time became
inevitable.
Ibrahimovic again had the chance
to settle it in extra time but
keeper Tony Sylva saved bravely
as the Swedes began the brighter.
Svensson then rattled the post
after a magnificent turn with
a powerful drive as Senegal
rode their luck again before
Camara's decisive strike.
Sweden
Hedman, Jakobsson, Mellberg, Mjallby, Lucic, Alexandersson (Ibrahimovic 76), Magnus Svensson (Jonson 100), Anders Svensson, Linderoth, Larsson, Allback (Andreas Andersson 64).
Senegal
Sylva, Daf, Coly, Pape Malick Diop (Beye 66), Henri Camara, Pape Bouba Diop, Cisse, Faye, Diatta, Thiaw, Diouf.
Attendance: 39,747.
Referee: Ubaldo Aquino (Paraguay). |
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