Senegal through
Group ASenegal 3Uruguay 3\nSenegal reached the second round of the World Cup at their first attempt yesterday after a thrilling 3-3 draw with a battling Uruguay. Needing only a point to stay in the competition, the Africans took no chances as they...
Group A
Senegal 3
Uruguay 3
\nSenegal reached the second round of the World Cup at their first attempt yesterday after a thrilling 3-3 draw with a battling Uruguay.
Needing only a point to stay in the competition, the Africans took no chances as they raced to a 3-0 lead. A dubious 20th-minute Khalilou Fadiga penalty and two shots by Pape Bouba Diop had Senegal seemingly in total control.
But they had to endure a nail-biting second half as Uruguay, playing virtually five up front, pulled back through Richard Morales 18 seconds after the restart, a Diego Forlan volley and an Alvaro Recoba penalty.
The African side managed to hold out and finish a surprise second in Group A behind Denmark.
Their reward for a wonderful first round, which included a shock 1-0 victory over France, is a meeting with either Argentina, England or Sweden.
For Uruguay, appearing in the finals for the first time since 1990, it was all a little too late. A 2-1 defeat to Denmark and a goalless draw with 10-man France means that they failed to reach the second round for the third time in 10 tournaments.
The game exploded into life after 19 minutes when Juve's Paolo Montero mistimed a backpass to goalkeeper Fabian Carini.
El Hadji Diouf seized on it, pushed it past Carini then went flying over the top of the sliding goalkeeper. The penalty was duly awarded and Fadiga slammed in it confidently. Fadiga marred his performance with a second yellow card which means he is out of the next match.
Then Henri Camara galloped clear down the left before picking out Pape Bouba Diop who sidefooted into the roof of the net.
He scored his second and Senegal's third in the 38th minute when, with the Uruguayans appealing in vain for offside, he touched in another Camara cross via the bar.
Uruguay attacked from the restart and after Senegal goalkeeper Tony Sylva parried a Dario Silva shot Morales pounced to pull one back from close range after just 18 seconds.
The goal stung Uruguay who after a series of missed chances pulled another back 20 minutes from time when Forlan, without a goal all season at Manchester United, chested down a clearance and fired in a perfect volley.
Recoba equalised from a dubious penalty in the 88th minute but with time running out Morales failed to grab the winner, missing with a header from five metres.
Senegal, runners-up in the African Nations Cup, are now able to dream of bigger things.
Senegal: Sylva; Coly (Beye 63), Diatta, Pape Malick Diop, Daf; Cisse, Fadiga, Pape Bouba Diop, Ndour (Faye 76); Diouf, Camara ( Ndiaye 67).
Uruguay: Carini; Sorondo (Requeiro 31), Lembo, Montero, Rodriguez; Varela, Garcia, Romero (Forlan 46); Recoba; Silva, Abreu ( Morales 46).
Referee: Jan Wegereef (Netherlands).
Scorers: Fadiga 20 pen., Pape Bouba Diop 26, 38; Morales 46, Forlan 69, Recoba 88 pen.
Yellow cards: Camara, Daf, Coly, P.B. Diop, Diouf, Fadiga, Beye; Romero, Carini, Garcia, Rodriguez, Montero.
HT: 3-0. Attendance: 33,681.