Kalidou Koulibaly actually drew inspiration on his captain’s armband, writing the quantity 19 on it in reminiscence of one among Senegal’s most liked gamers.
Then Kalidou Koulibaly grew to become one himself.
The Senegal captain scored the successful objective within the 2-1 victory over Ecuador on Tuesday, placing his group into the spherical of 16 on the World Cup regardless of the absence of the injured Sadio Mane, the group’s finest participant and the most effective strikers on this planet.
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The No. 19 was to honor Papa Bouba Diop, the Senegal midfielder who scored the successful objective towards defending champion France within the opening recreation of the 2002 World Cup. It was one among Senegal’s best soccer moments and a victory that began that group’s run to the quarterfinals — nonetheless Senegal’s finest efficiency.
“We needed to make him proud. We needed to present homage to him,” Koulibaly mentioned of Diop, who died on the age of 42 precisely two years in the past Tuesday. “He was the one who made me dream after I was a boy. This was one thing we weren’t going to let slip.
“Thank God I used to be there to ship that ball into the again of the online.”
Solely a win towards Ecuador would have taken Senegal by means of to the subsequent spherical from Group A, and Koulibaly scored the objective that made it occur at Khalifa Worldwide Stadium.
A free kick from Idrissa Gueye bounced off an opponent and got here his manner. Koulibaly threw out his proper foot and hit it previous Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez within the seventieth minute. Koulibaly then sprinted towards the nook flag and slid on his knees to have a good time.
The African champions took the lead after a first-half penalty from Ismaila Sarr. However Moises Caicedo evened the rating when he was left unmarked after a nook kick within the 67th minute.
At 1-1, Ecuador was going to advance, and Senegal was out.
That outcome would have been as agonizing as Senegal’s early elimination 4 years in the past, when the group completed the group stage with a loss to Colombia and even on factors with Japan. Senegal was eradicated on a good play rule as a result of it had picked up two extra yellow playing cards than the Japanese.
This yr, Senegal coach Aliou Cisse was compelled to reinvent his ahead line following the harm to Mane, who despatched the group a message earlier than the match. Koulibaly mentioned the Bayern Munich striker has additionally been an inspiration for the group regardless of not being in Qatar.
“When it got here to his (Mane’s) harm, two thirds of the world in all probability doubted that we’d be capable to qualify,” Kalidou Koulibaly mentioned.
Senegal misplaced its opening match towards the Netherlands 2-0 however gave itself an opportunity with a 3-1 win over host Qatar. Nonetheless, the group wanted a victory over Ecuador.
“We have been up towards a brick wall,” Cisse mentioned.
The 24-year-old Sarr received the penalty when he was knocked over by a slipshod problem from Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie simply earlier than halftime. He side-footed his penalty into the underside proper nook within the forty fourth minute and virtually all the Senegal bench and training workers ran to him.
Sarr additionally headed over to the nook flag to have a good time whereas placing his fingers over his eyes.
He can look now as a result of Senegal has a minimum of yet another match to play.
Senegal now has an opportunity match, and even higher, the nation’s scintillating run to the quarterfinals in 2002, when Cisse was the captain and the group equaled Africa’s finest efficiency at a World Cup. No African group has made the semi-finals.
It was the top of a powerful marketing campaign for Ecuador and striker Enner Valencia, who had scored his group’s first three objectives at this yr’s World Cup and performed towards Senegal regardless of scuffling with a nasty knee pressure. Valencia was left consoling Galindez, who was tearing up close to the top of the sport and couldn’t maintain again after the ultimate whistle as he cried on Valencia’s shoulder.
Senegal will play England within the spherical of 16 on Sunday. The Netherlands, which received Group A, will face america on Saturday.