BY BEN MEMULETIWON
At last, Africa had a taste of the global football pudding on Tuesday as Senegal deservedly defeated Poland in a game of few chances to claim the first win by an African team at the World Cup.
The Lions of Teranga, so impressive in the early minutes of the game, had taken the lead shortly before the break when a shot from Everton’s Idrissa Gueye took a huge deflection off Thiago Cionek. And the stadium erupted in wild jubilation while the players celebrated in their usual Senegalese style.
Poland made little threat on Senegal’s defence in the first half but had no attempt at goal. Robert Lewandowski’s impact was hardly seen as he was heavily marked by Senegal’s huge central defensive pair of Salif Sane and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Seemingly injured M’Baye Niang sprinted back on to the field of play after receiving treatment from the team’s physiotherapists and immediately intercepted a back pass from midfield, beating former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and Southampton defender Jan Bednarek to the ball. He then slotted into an empty net even as confused Poland players ran to the referee in protest. But referee Nawaf Shukralla looked the other side.
But the Polish were never humiliated. They ensured a frantic finale when Grzegorz Krychowiak headed home a superb free-kick at the far post.
The result came hours after Japan had defeated 10-man Colombia in Group H’s opening game – and there is a strong possibility that one of the qualifiers could go on to play England in the last 16.
Africa has been at the receiving end since Day Two when Egypt lost to Uruguay, Morocco to Iran, and Nigeria to Croatia, before England capped it all on Monday.
But playing in their second World Cup, Senegal showed a passion and physicality that their seeded opponents could not handle. Aliou Cisse’s team were wayward in their finishing – epitomised by one horribly miscued first-half strike by the lively Niang – and some of their decision-making saw good openings wasted.
But they played with great ambition and purpose and showed enough to suggest they could well qualify from what is regarded as a very open group.
Like Lewandowski, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane had dominated the pre-match billing, but was heavily marked and posed little forward
What a result for Senegal! What a sweet redemption for Africa!