Sweden vs Senegal - 2002 World Cup

Home: World Cup 2002: Korea-Japan Finals: Knockout Stage: Match Report

Sunday, June 16th

Golden Goal For A Golden Match

An early free-kick to Sweden was laid off to the right and Tony Sylva managed to stick out his foot to block the drive.... the follow-up off target.

For Senegal, Pape Thiaw blasted over the bar in the 9th minute, when clear through on goal.

1:0
Henrik Larsson headed Sweden into the lead, from an 11th minute corner.

As Senegal looked for an equaliser El Hadji Diouf went down in the Swedish area, in the 15th minute, but Ubaldo Aquino waved play on.

Then while Niclas Alexandersson was off the pitch getting his head bandaged, about ten minutes later, El Hadji Diouf beat Olof Mellberg on the left and crossed low for Papa Bouba Diop.... but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Senegal pressed more, with El Hadji Diouf showing his attacking skill around the Swedish area, and it looked as though Sweden would soon pay the price for sitting back on their lead.

1:1
Henri Camara took a pass on his chest and slipped through Magnus Svensson and Johan Mjallby, on the edge of the area, and turned the ball low past Magnus Hedman in the Swedish goal.... to level the score in the 37th minute.

A few minutes later, Camara glanced a header wide as Senegal looked to get in a double whammy while Sweden still had their heads down.

Five minutes before the break, Tony Sylva denied Anders Svensson with an excellent save - catching the ball confidently rather than punching it, as so many keepers have done at this tournament - after the Swede's free-kick floated dangerously over the Senegal wall.

Senegal had a couple of chances at the other end too and the game looked set for a thrilling climax in the second-half.

Half-time: Sweden 1 - Senegal 1

The Senegalese drums, silenced after the early Sweden goal, were now beating around the ground as Senegal sought to impose themselves on the match.

Sweden's main threat continued to come through Henrik Larsson but Tony Sylva was having a marvelous game and may soon find himself pried away from Monaco.

Senegal never seemed to have enough players up front to finish off their best moves, or take advantage of corners, and often found themselves crowded out by yellow shirts.

Fifteen minutes from time, a Senegal cross bounced through the legs of Olof Mellberg and Pape Thiaw should have scored, when the ball fell at his feet in the six-yard box. Mellberg managed to get a leg out to redeem himself as the ball ricocheted behind the goal..... but a corner wasn't given.

Sweden started to look a little more dangerous when Zlatan Ibrahimovic - who scored the golden goal for Ajax in the Dutch Cup Final - came on for Niclas Alexandersson.

Both teams have entertained us in this second-half; with Senegal having a little more of the game but Sweden always looking dangerous on the counter.

Now they both get a little rest and a chance to take on fluids, before trying for the Golden Goal.

Into Extra time:

Senegal won the toss and let Sweden start things off......

Pape Thiaw wasted the first chance for Senegal.... then a minute later Sweden caused chaos in the Senegal area with Tony Sylva bringing relief to the whole of the African continent by getting his foot to the final shot.

Senegal shot over the bar on the next attack, as both teams impressed the watching world with their stamina and skill.... in this golden period of an already excellent match.

Anders Svensson danced on the ball as he turned Ferdinand Coly and struck the ball against the outside of the right upright; Henrik Larsson almost emulated him to get through two defenders; and El Hadji Diouf nutmegged once again at the other end.

With almost 100 minutes played, Pape Thiaw was stretchered off and almost replaced by Souleymane Camara.

The Strasbourg player miraculously rose from his sickbed, before the substitution took place, and returned to the field to produce the back-heel that allowed Henri Camara to go through the five man Swedish defence - Johan Mjallby and Tobias Linderoth the first two to be left behind (and the other three too slow to react) - and crack the ball in low, off the left post - 104 mins.

1:2
Henri Camara scored the golden goal fitting of a golden match, as Senegal became the second African team to ever reach the quarter-final (Cameroon lost to England in 1990) where they will play either Japan or Turkey.

Final Score:
Sweden 1 - Senegal 2
After Extra Time

Man of the Match:
El Hadji Diouf - Hard to pick one player above a number who really helped to make this a classic match but El Hadji Diouf just gets the edge for his tremendous dribbling, that so often opened up the Swedish defence, and the ease with which he nutmegged the opposition.

Yellow Cards:
Ferdinand Coly (73 mins)
Pape Thiaw (94 mins)

The Teams

Sweden:
1 Magnus Hedman; 15 Andreas Jakobsson, 16 Teddy Lucic, 2 Olof Mellberg, 4 Johan Mjallby; 7 Niclas Alexandersson (21 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 76 mins), 6 Tobias Linderoth, 8 Anders Svensson, 17 Magnus Svensson (18 Mattias Jonsson - 100 mins); 10 Marcus Allb�ck (22 Andreas Andersson - 65 mins), 11 Henrik Larsson.

Senegal:
1 Tony Sylva; 6 Aliou Cisse, 17 Ferdinand Coly, 2 Omar Daf, 13 Lamine Diatta, 4 Papa Malick Diop (21 Habib Beye - 66 mins); 19 Papa Bouba Diop, 12 Amdy Faye; 7 Henri Camara, 11 El Hadji Diouf, 18 Pape Thiaw.

Referee: Ubaldo Aquino