Denmark vs Senegal - 2002 World Cup Group Match

Home: World Cup 2002: Korea-Japan Finals: 1st Round: Match Report

Thursday June 6th, 2002

Senegal Hold On With Ten Men

The game starts with a lively drum-beat rolling around the stadium.

In the tenth minute a battle broke out, with Stig Tofting and a number of Senegal players almost coming to blows. Khalilou Fadiga was lucky to only get a yellow card; after kicking out, while on the floor, à la David Beckham.

The Guatemalan referee has had his work cut out in the first fifteen minutes, trying to keep the game under control and awards Denmark a penalty as Salif Alassane Diao challenges Jon Dahl Tomasson; with a flying knee in the back.

Two Senegal players were now lucky to still be in the game.

1:0
Jon Dahl Tomasson scored from the spot to put Denmark in the lead, notching up his third goal of the tournament in the process - 16 mins.

Two minutes later, from a Khalilou Fadiga corner, Senegal almost scrambled in the equaliser.

The winner of this game could be guaranteed a place in the Second Round, if France vs Uruguay is a draw, so Senegal tried to clean up their act; knowing that they needed all their players on the pitch, if they were to try and salvage at least a point.

Fadiga had a great chance to bring Senegal level shortly before half-time, showing skill and composure to beat his defender in the Danish area..... only to fail with his shooting. A minute later, Sunderland's Thomas Sorensen saved low on his second attempt.

Half-time: Denmark 1 - Senegal 0

Senegal needed to attack a little more in the second-half and brought on two new strikers to try and do just that: Souleymane Camara and Henri Camara for Pape Sarr and Moussa N'Diaye.

Denmark replied with Martin Jorgensen on for Jesper Gronkjaer.

1:1
Khalilou Fadiga ran at Denmark from the halfway line to slip the ball into the area for Salif Alassane Diao to level the score - 52 mins.

Senegal continued to attack. with Thomas Sorensen having to make a number of saves to keep the threat out.

Senegal continued to look the most dangerous and El Hadji Diouf, unmarked in the middle of the Danish area really should have scored after Souleymane Camara squared the ball from the left - between Denmark's Rene Henriksen and Martin Laursen.

For Denmark, Ebbe Sand has hardly looked in the game, then missed his chance to make the headlines in the 78th minute.

Tragedy for Senegal, ten minutes from time, when goalscorer Salif Alassane Diao planted his studs on the shin of Rene Henriksen.

This was followed by a couple of yellow cards for Denmark, as both teams started to get frustrated.

Senegal held on, with ten men for the last ten minutes, to share the points with Denmark.

Final Score:
Denmark 1 - Senegal 1

Man of the Match:
Khalilou Fadiga - Lucky not to be sent off in the tenth minute, Fadiga cooled down to bring Senegal back into the game.

Red Cards:
Salif Alassane Diao (80 mins)

Yellow Cards:
Ebbe Sand (8 mins)
Khalilou Fadiga (10 mins)
Jon Dahl Tomasson (20 mins)
Salif Alassane Diao (63 mins)
Thomas Helveg (82 mins)
El Hadji Diouf (83 mins)
Christian Poulsen (84 mins)

The Teams

Denmark:
1 Thomas Sorensen; 5 Jan Heintze, 6 Thomas Helveg, 3 Rene Henriksen, 4 Martin Laursen; 7 Thomas Gravesen (17 Christian Poulsen - 62 mins), 2 Stig T�fting; 8 Jesper Gronkjaer (10 Martin Jorgensen - 50 mins), 19 Dennis Rommedahl (18 Peter Lovenkrands - 89 mins), 11 Ebbe Sand, 9 Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Senegal:
1 Tony Sylva; 17 Ferdinand Coly, 2 Omar Daf, 13 Lamine Diatta, 4 Papa Malick Diop; 15 Salif Alassane Diao, 19 Papa Bouba Diop (21 Habib Beye - 83 mins), 10 Khalilou Fadiga, 14 Moussa N'Diaye (7 Henri Camara - 46 mins), 3 Pape Sarr (9 Souleymane Camara - 46 mins); 11 El Hadji Diouf.

Referee: Carlos Batres