World Cup host nation Qatar has been eliminated from the tournament, less than a week after it launched the first version of football’s biggest event in the Middle East.
On day six of the World Cup, Qatar lost 3-1 to Senegal in its second straight defeat at the tournament. Its exit was confirmed a few hours later when Netherlands and Ecuador drew 1-1 in the other Group A game.
That left Qatar at the bottom of Group A with no chance of progressing.
South Africa had been the only other home team to fail to make it out of the group stage in 2010.
“If you expected us to go very far in this tournament, then it will be a disappointment,” Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said before his team was officially out. “Our goal was to be competitive.”
With World Cup futures on the line, the footballing stakes could hardly have been higher for hosts Qatar and African champions Senegal.
Qatar’s opening-night nerves were nowhere to be seen as they quickly got to grips with Senegal and should have had a penalty when Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr bundled over Akram Afif, but Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz waved away their pleas and the VAR (video-assisted referee) did not intervene.
With Qatar defending well, it was going to take either a moment of magic or a catastrophic mistake for Senegal to break the deadlock. Unfortunately for Qatar defender Boualem Khoukhi, it turned out to be the latter.
His attempt to clear a routine low pass into the box by Senegal’s Krepin Diatta went disastrously wrong as he fluffed his clearance, allowing Boulaye Dia to pounce and rattle home the opening goal just before the break.
It got worse for Qatar early in the second half, with Famara Diedhiou doubling Senegal’s advantage with a brilliant glancing header from an Ismail Jakobs corner in the 48th minute.
It was a cue for the home team to play their best football of the tournament so far.
Mohammed Muntari reduced the deficit in the 78th minute with a first-ever goal for Qatar at a World Cup but Senegal were unruffled as they continued to out-muscle their opponents in midfield.
Six minutes after Muntari’s strike, Bamba Dieng swept home a pass from fellow substitute Iliman Ndiaye for the African side’s third goal of the match.
That consigned Qatar to the bottom of Group A with no points, while Netherlands and Ecuador have four points and the Senegalese three.
Qatar’s hopes of progressing are now over.
Even a win in their final game against three-time World Cup finalists Netherlands will not be enough to see them progress.
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