England proved too tall of an order for Senegal in Sunday’s exciting 2022 World Cup last-16 tie at Al Bayt Stadium. Despite fighting tooth and nail to make history, the Lions of Teranga fell to a wasteful 3-0 defeat.
Aliou Cisse made it out of the World Cup group stages for the first time since 2002, yet their dream run in Qatar came to a halt at the hands of mighty England. Without headline performer Sadio Mane, who picked up an injury on the eve of the tournament, the African side’s hopes of going the distance in the Middle East were always a long shot.
But after a phenomenal 2-1 win over Ecuador on the final group-stage matchday, Senegal’s aspirations were high. Unfortunately for the reigning AFCON champions, their enthusiasm was short-lived as Gareth Southgate’s rampant squad put them to the sword tonight.
Senegal and England were neck and neck for most of the first half before one lapse of concentration allowed Jordan Henderson to open the scoring late in the first half. Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane added insult to injury as he converted a clear-cut chance to hand the Three Lions a comfortable two-goal cushion at halftime.
If Senegal harbored any hopes of bouncing back in the second half, in-form Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka put them to rest on the stroke of the hour mark, turning home Phil Foden’s inviting low cross. Cisse’s men never managed to recover, helping England set up a blockbuster quarter-final tie against France.
Senegal (4-4-1-1)
Edouard Mendy – 5.5
A long and painful afternoon for the Senegal goalkeeper. Despite coming up with some crucial interventions, the Chelsea shot-stopper had to pick the ball up from the net three times.
Youssouf Sabaly – 5.5
Put under an awful lot of pressure by Foden and Luke Shaw and struggled to deal with it, though he had some exciting forays into the final third.
Abdou Diallo – 6
Too loose with his passing early in the game, the RB Leipzig man made it difficult for his team to build from the back but did well in winning aerial battles with Kane.
Kalidou Koulibaly – 5.5
A composed display from the ex-Napoli captain, although he’d be kicking himself for misjudging the situation leading to England’s opener.
Ismail Jakobs – 5
Showed off his propensity for going forward on a few occasions, yet the Monaco left-back often struggled to cope with Saka’s dancing feet and blistering pace.
Krepin Diatta – 4.5
Senegal must have expected more from another player on Monaco’s payroll, yet Diatta’s loose first touch and poor ball control often made him look like a tourist.
Pathe Ciss – 4.5
Yet another midfielder from Europe’s top-five leagues, the Rayo Vallecano man couldn’t do anything to help his side gain a foothold in this match and will want to forget in a hurry.
Namplays Mendy – 5.5
Had a tough task up against England’s inspired midfield, the Leicester City guy was one of rare Senegal players to hold up to their end of the bargain by flying in with tackles and interceptions.
Ismaila Sarr- 6.5
By far the most influential Senegal player tonight. His pace and accelerations caused Kyle Walker all sorts of problems in the first half, yet he failed to keep momentum throughout the game.
Illman Ndiyae – 4.5
Never managed to influence the match and can have no complaints about being subbed off at halftime.
Boulaye Dia – 6
The only player to come close to building some meaningful attacks for Senegal, the Salernitana forward came close to breaking the deadlock, only to be denied by Jordan Pickford’s stunning save.
Substitutes
Pape Matar Sarr – 5
Unlike his predecessor Diatta, he at least helped out at the back since he was unable to come up with an idea on how to fashion Senegal’s comeback.
Bamba Dieng – 4
Wayward is perhaps the best way to describe Dieng’s attempts to make a difference.
Pape Gueye – 5
If his task was to help the Lions of Teranga regain control in the middle of the park, he should’ve asked Cisse to keep him on the bench.
Famara Diedhiou – N/A
Fode Ballo-Toure – N/A