Host nation Qatar was eliminated after losing 3-1 to Senegal today at the Al-Thumama stadium in Al Thumama, Qatar.
Qatar went into today’s game knowing that a loss would mean elimination as even with a win in their final game, they would not have enough points to make it through. They were able to hold onto a tie for the first 40 minutes, and then things started to fall apart for them.
The first sign that it was not their day came in the 34th minute when Qatari striker Akram Afif was blatantly fouled in the box. Lahoz, the referee, was not in a good line of sight and missed the call, which VAR missed as well.
In the 41st minute, Boulaye Dia gave Senegal the lead when he easily slotted home a loose ball due to the central defender, Boualem Khoukhi, who slipped when trying to make a clearance.
Just three minutes into the second half, Senegal got their second goal off of a corner. Famara Diedhiou manages to loop his backward header up and across the goal into the left-side netting.
Qatar would give home fans a sliver of hope when in the 78th minute Mohammed Muntari scored off of a header into the lower left side of the goal.
Senegal would finish off Qatar’s World Cup journey in the 84th minute when Bamab Dieng scored Senegal’s third and final goal. Dieng received a lovely pass that set him up around the penalty spot, and he passed it into the middle of the goal.
In other matchday news:
Iran was able to beat Wales 2-0 earlier this morning thanks to stoppage-time goals from Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian in the 98th and 101st minutes respectively.
Due to this result, it is possible that if the USA loses to England later today, England will be the only one qualified so far. This means that it would be the last game that decides whether Iran, Wales, or the US make it out of Group A alongside England.
Photo: Almoez Ali – Shutterstock – user: Celso Pupo – ID: 1430435987
