Senegal have qualified for the round of 16 after defeating Ecuador 2-1 to move up into second place in Group A. After pushing for a late equaliser, Ecuador’s World Cup campaign has ended, leaving them in third place.
Ismaïla Sarr opened the scoring just before half-time after cooly converting from the penalty spot. The second-half saw a flurry of goals with Moisés Caicedo equalising before Kalidou Koulibaly put Senegal back in front just 3 minutes later. The Chelsea centre half ultimately scored the winner, in what was an enthralling encounter.
Key performers:
Ismaïla Sarr, 8: The 24-year-old was the main outlet for Senegal going forward, his penalty put his side 1-0 up going into half-time after a brilliant first-half display. He in fact won the penalty after being brought down by Piero Hincapie. Should Senegal progress any further, he will no doubt be at the forefront of their success. A magnificent player.
Jeremy Sarmiento, 7: Despite coming on as a second-half substitute, Sarmiento was most certainly Ecuador’s bright spark. The Brighton & Hove Albion winger impressed with his quick feet and electrifying pace, but for all of his endeavour, he couldn’t manage to help his side qualify for the round of 16.
Idrissa Gueye: The Everton midfielder provided a delightful curling set-piece which ultimately found its way to Koulibaly, who finished superbly. Gueye seemed to cover every blade of grass and was an ever willing runner especially during the closing stages of the game when Ecuador applied the pressure in search of a late equaliser.
Moisés Caicedo: After scoring the equaliser to make it 1-1, Caicedo played a key role in dictating the onslaught of pressure with Ecuador certainly dominating the proceedings in the second-half. His control and ability to spray accurate, timely passes made it a fascinating encounter, with the 21-year-old showing exactly why their is so much talk about his potential.
Ecuador – 1
Hernan Ismael Galindez, 5
A. Preciado, 5
Felix Torres, 6
Piero Hincapie, 3
P. Estupinan, 5
Alan Franco, 5
Carlos Gruezo, 5
Moisés Caicedo, 7
Gonzalo Plata, 5
Michael Estrada, 5
Enner Valencia, 5
Others: Jose Cifuentes 5, Jeremy Sarmiento 7, D. N. R. Gonzalez 5.
Senegal – 2
Edouard Mendy, 6
Y. Salaby, 7
K. Koulibaly, 7
Ismail Jakobs, 7
Abdou Diallo, 6
Pathe Ciss, 6
Idrissa Gueye, 7
Pape Alassane Gueye, 6
Iliman Ndiaye, 6
Boulaye Dia, 5
Ismaila Sarr, 8
Others: Nampalys Mendy 5, Bamba Dieng 5.
Mark Marston | GWFN
