Senegal vs. Ecuador Updates: Senegal, Leading 1-0, Has Eye on Next Round
Ecuador and Senegal are facing off on Monday in their final match in Group A, which has become one of the toughest groups in the tournament. As with every match over the next four days, there is a lot on the line today: Each team knows a win will carry them to the knockout rounds of the World Cup.
While Qatar, the host, was eliminated on Friday, the three remaining teams in the group, including the Netherlands, all have a chance to advance.
Ecuador only needs a tie to advance to the round of 16, a far easier path than Senegal, the reigning African champion. The Lions of Teranga, as the team is known, have the hardest path to the next round: needing a win or for Qatar to trounce the Netherlands (an unlikely prospect).
Senegal’s bigger problem at this World Cup is that it has been playing without its star forward Sadio Mané, who was hurt in a club game in Germany right before the start of the tournament.
The Dutch only need to tie Qatar to advance.
Here’s what to know:
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Ecuador squeaked into the World Cup by nabbing the last spot allotted to South American teams for the tournament. The squad beat powerhouse Uruguay once during the qualifiers, stunned a diminished Colombia team and tied Argentina, the eventual South American champion. But the rest of its performances were mixed, with losses to Peru and Paraguay and many ties. It is the fourth World Cup for Ecuador.
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One worry for Ecuador, full of young stars, will be the fate of Enner Valencia, its captain and — with three goals so far — the joint leading scorer in the tournament with France’s Kylian Mbappé. Valencia was carried off the field late in the tie with the Netherlands with a right leg injury.
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Senegal has only qualified for the World Cup three times, but it has made headlines before. On its way to the quarterfinals in 2002, Senegal surprised France, the reigning champion, in the group stage before being knocked out by Turkey. Its last appearance was in 2018 in Russia, where Senegal lost in the group stage.
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The Lions are not short of stars, with the Chelsea teammates Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly anchoring them at the back. But their biggest star, Mané, was left off the roster because of an injury.
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Senegal’s coach, Aliou Cissé, is the rare manager who has both played for his national team and coached it in major tournaments. He was the Lions’ captain during the victory against France in 2002.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/11/29/sports/ecuador-senegal-world-cup-scores