Senegal, defeating Egypt as in the recent final of the African Cup of Nations, Cameroon, overthrowing against Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Ghana, won their qualification on Tuesday March 29 for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after the return play-offs from the Africa zone.
History therefore repeated itself for Senegal. On February 6, Sadio Mané allowed his country to lift the first African Cup of Nations in its history by scoring the last shot on goal in the final against Egypt. Almost two months later, the same Sadio Mané guided the Teranga Lions pack towards Qatar, converting another decisive shot on goal, again against the Egyptians, this time in the second leg of the qualifying play-offs for the Cup. of the world 2022.
And this time, 30 kilometers from Dakar, it was first necessary to baptize the Abdoulaye-Wade stadium in Diamniadio (inaugurated on February 22, 2022 during a gala match). The 50,000 tickets had – of course – found takers. The kickoff was scheduled for 5 p.m. (local time), but at noon they were already thousands to be heard in the stands.
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Electric evening
When it’s time for the Egyptian anthem, the singing of Mohamed Salah’s teammates is inaudible, covered by the din of the stands. Green dots then appear on the faces of the visiting players: these are lasers pointed from the stands. The match hasn’t started yet, but the tone is already set. This evening promises to be electric.
It becomes more so when Senegal opens the scoring from the 3and minute. After a free kick struck by Idrissa Gueye towards the far post, the ball, badly cleared from the head by a defender, lands in the feet of Boulaye Dia, who does not hesitate to ruffle the strings at close range. The Teranga Lions thus make up for their delay conceded during the first round. 1-0 was already the score in the first leg in favor of Egypt on Friday March 25 in Cairo.
Aliou Cissé, Senegalese side, and Carlos Queiroz, Egyptian side, berate each other: very quickly, the referee must come and calm the two coaches. As the match progresses, the players claim fouls and appear more and more nervous. The tension of the stands infuses the field.
Swarm of lasers
Dominating in the first period, the Lions of Teranga rarefied their chances after the break. Neither team manages to worry the opposing goalkeeper. Consequence: the extension becomes inevitable, as in the CAN final. At the 95and minute, Diamniadio’s Abdoulaye-Wade stadium is already ready to exult when Sadio Mané delivers an ideal cross at the far post towards Ismaïla Sarr. The Senegalese striker has the goal wide open in front of him, but he strikes with his heel and the ball miraculously returns to the Egyptian goalkeeper, Mohamed El Shenawy.
The match therefore extends to penalties. A confusing session which will begin with four failed attempts (two on each side), including that of Mohamed Salah. Like all his teammates, the Egyptian star had to face a swarm of lasers aimed at his eyes from the stands. He sent the ball very far above the crossbar.
His friend and club teammate in Liverpool, Sadio Mané, has the clear vision to hit the fifth Senegalese attempt squarely in the center and deliver his supporters. As in 2002 and 2018, the Teranga Lions will participate in the World Cup.
Dantesque scenario for Cameroon
A little later, in the evening, at the end of a dantesque scenario, Djamel Belmadi, on his knees, inconsolable, could not get up on the lawn of Blida after the final whistle. Karl Toko-Ekambi has just scored the 1-2 goal which sends Cameroon to the World Cup, at the expense of Algeria, in the 124thand minute of the game.
Twenty-nine years later, the Olympique Lyonnais player donned the clothes of Emil Kostadinov, the Bulgarian executioner of the Blues in their quest for the 1994 World Cup, and allowed the Indomitable Lions to return to world games for the first time since 2014.
Yet it was a fairy tale that seemed to be written a few moments earlier, with the goal of young Ahmed Touba, who had barely entered and who thought he would send the Fennecs and the Mustapha-Tchaker stadium to Qatar (1-1, 118and). In the end, the Algerian coach does indeed mourn the elimination of the 2019 African champions, yet on a favorable ballot after their success in the first leg on Cameroonian soil (0-1).
But the goal scored by Eric Chupo-Moting, from the 18and minute on a corner, allowed the troops of Rigobert Song to hope, after a poor first round. This scenario drew the outlines of a difficult evening for Algeria which, since its two setbacks during the last African Cup in January, seems to have lost the sacred fire, after 35 games without defeat.
“The sky has fallen on our heads”
Sometimes sterile with the ball at their feet, the Algerians generally dominated the debates, facing a Cameroonian block that came to play the counterattack. In this meeting resembling France-Bulgaria 1993, Algeria will regret having foiled until the end.
Undefeated in 43 outings (36 wins, 7 draws) since 2002 in the setting of Blida, the Fennecs will have waited for their 44and reception to experience the taste of defeat. A setback with cruel consequences for an undefeated nation in the obstacle course that are the qualifications of the African zone for the World Cup.
“We have collapsed”, confessed Djamel Belmadi after the match. “The sky has fallen on our heads. It’s football, it’s sport. But it’s our whole life, at the same time”he added.
“La Verte” will miss a second World Cup in a row, and will watch its Moroccan and Tunisian neighbors represent the colors of the Maghreb in Qatar.
Morocco, Tunisia and Ghana have their ticket in their pocket
Morocco largely won in Casablanca against the Democratic Republic of Congo (1-1 in the first leg). Azzedine Ounahi, author of a double, Tarik Tissoudali and the Parisian Achraf Hakimi offered their country a sixth participation in a World Cup. The Congolese saved their honor with a very nice sequence from Ben Malango at the end of the game.
Tunisia will therefore also see Qatar, thanks to their 1-0 success in the first leg in Mali, thanks to Moussa Sissako. On the return to Radès, the two teams were neutralized 0-0.
After a first leg without a winner (0-0), Ghana also obtained its ticket by going to draw 1-1 in Nigeria. Captain Thomas Partey opened the scoring with a long shot, before William Troost-Ekong tied the two teams from the penalty spot (22and).
But thanks to the goal scored outside (the rule is still in force in the African zone, unlike European cups), the Black Stars will participate in their first World Cup for eight years.
In the Europe zone, Portugal and Poland qualified
Portugal qualified for the 2022 World Cup by beating North Macedonia (2-0) on Tuesday evening in the play-off final in Porto. Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, will therefore have the opportunity to play in the fifth World Cup of his career. The Portuguese got their ticket to Qatar thanks to Bruno Fernandes, author of a double against the Macedonians, who had created the surprise by eliminating Italy.
Robert Lewandowski’s Poland also qualified in the evening, beating Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden (2-0) in the other play-off final, in Chorzow. The Bayern Munich striker scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, and Piotr Zielinski doubled the lead.
There is still one ticket to be awarded in the Europe zone: Ukraine, whose match has been postponed, will face Scotland, and the winner of this confrontation will challenge Gareth Bale’s Wales to validate their participation in the Qatari World Cup.
