2026 FIFA World Cup: AFCON final ghosts haunt Senegal as their tournament ends against Belgium

Senegal were disappointing on a colossal level as they suffered a 3-2 extra-time defeat in their Round of 32 clash against Belgium.

The Lions of Terranga went ahead by two goals thanks to strikes from Habib Diarra (25) and Ismaïla Sarr (51). However, a monumental collapse from the 86th minute saw them concede two late goals to Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, which forced extra time.

The ghost of the AFCON final—during which Morocco won a late spot-kick after a careless Senegalese foul—reared its head in extra time as Senegal conceded a late penalty, which Tielemans dispatched with aplomb to send the West African side home.

Despite topping Group G, Belgium entered the match as the narrative underdogs. Hence, Senegal, who advanced on goal difference from Group I as one of the best third-place teams, completely dictated the tempo for the first hour of the game.

Senegal's pressure paid off midway through the first half. A well-worked cross from Sadio Mané resulted in a header from Ismaïla Sarr that crashed off the post. Habib Diarra was perfectly positioned to tap in the rebound, giving the Lions of Teranga a deserved 1-0 lead.

Senegal carried their momentum into the second half. Following excellent buildup play, Ismaïla Sarr found the back of the net, giving the African side a commanding 2-0 advantage and leaving Belgium staring down the barrel of an early knockout exit.

Searching for answers, Rudi Garcia turned to his bench, most notably bringing on Romelu Lukaku for Charles De Ketelaere at halftime. 

Despite the changes, Senegal remained dangerous, with Mané constantly threatening on the counter-attack and Diarra nearly making it 3-0 in the 51st minute. However, Belgium's sheer quality finally exploded in the dying moments of normal time.

With just four minutes of regulation remaining, substitute Romelu Lukaku found the breakthrough, finishing clinically to halve the deficit to 2-1 and completely shift the momentum of the tie. Merely three minutes later, the Senegalese defence collapsed under the relentless Belgian siege.

Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans headed home a stunning equaliser, completely flipping the match on its head and forcing extra time at 2-2.

The 30 minutes of extra time were end-to-end. Both sides made multiple substitutions, with Senegal bringing on Nicolas Jackson and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye to inject fresh legs into a rapidly tiring squad. 

Just as the match seemed destined for the lottery of a penalty shootout, disaster struck for Senegal. Following a tense VAR review in the dying seconds of the extra-time period, Honduran referee Said Martínez awarded a penalty after a clumsy foul on Youri Tielemans.

Youri Tielemans stepped up to the spot and held his nerve, converting the penalty in the 125th minute of play to seal an unforgettable 3-2 victory.

Rudi Garcia's men officially advance to the Round of 16. They will enjoy a few days of rest and will stay in Seattle for their next fixture. They are scheduled to face the winner of the next Round of 32 clash between the USA and Bosnia & Herzegovina on July 6th.