Kalidou Koulibaly’s superb volley sent Senegal into the FIFA World Cup last 16 for only the second time in their history as they eliminated Ecuador in a thriller at the Khalifa International Stadium. Ecuador's midfielder Moises Caicedo cancelled out a penalty by Ismaila Sarr before Chelsea defender Koulibaly's side-footer won it. Gulf News football experts discuss the match and look ahead to tomorrow’s clash between Poland and Argentina.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Golf News, kicking back I'm joined by Nick and Sharm to discuss what
00:14has been an absolute thriller of a day at the World Cup. We knew that Ecuador and Senegal
00:21were playing against each other in that last Group A match. Ecuador just needed a draw
00:27to go through, Senegal needed a win. It was just an absolute thrill of a tie. In the end
00:35Senegal have won, it was a Kallidou Koulibaly volley from the captain. He's a cent and a
00:41half but he took it like a striker. Nick, what did you think of that finish from the
00:45Chelsea man?
00:46Brilliant. I think it's his first goal isn't it for his country. He calmly side-footed
00:53it, where it was almost a striker's finish, not a defender's whack that might have ended
01:02up in row Z. A superb finish.
01:05Sharm, it was like the hokey-cokey today. In, out, in, out at one stage. Both teams
01:10were almost in. In the end, unfortunately, Ecuador, who have been so thrilling in this
01:14tournament, they're a young attacking team. That's the only way they like to play. Before
01:19today's game the coach said, look, we're not going to change anything. He knew a point
01:22would have been enough. Most other coaches probably would have put two banks or four
01:27and just made it very hard for the opposition to try and get back amongst them. But he played
01:31the same way. He played that attacking style. Unfortunately for them, they've fallen short.
01:37Do you think they should have approached the game differently today?
01:40No, not at all. That would be completely out of character. I think this is how they are.
01:47It's in their DNA. And I prefer this game. It is a shame that Ecuador had to go out.
01:53But I think they gave a good account of themselves in this tournament. But this match,
01:59I thought they were pretty flat initially, at least in the first half. Only in the second
02:03half did they come really alive. In the first half, actually, Senegal showed a lot more intent.
02:11So, strangely, they were kind of off colour. Of course, they made a good fist of it in the
02:19second half. But that wasn't enough because Senegal had packed too much power into their game.
02:26Yeah, Nick, they had too much power. It looked that the Ecuadorians looked slightly off the
02:31pace. I mean, the idea, as Sharm says, they stuck to the guns. They tried to play that same way.
02:37But it was Senegal that was doing all the early pressing. How impressed were you,
02:41considering, obviously, we've mentioned this before, they've been playing without this star
02:45man, Saadi Omane. But Ismail Sarr, the Watford player, the winger, he's proved quite a live
02:52wire. He scored a fantastic penalty today. It takes real guts to pull himself back up.
02:59It was shoved over. It was a clear penalty. There's no denying about that. But there was only
03:03going to be one man to put the ball down and he got it. And it was a fantastic,
03:08nonchalant penalty right into the bottom corner. What did you think of that?
03:12Yeah, Sarr's always impressed me when he was in the Premier League. And I think he's got a
03:19great future still. But it's one of the confirmed penalties. There wasn't any dispute there. His
03:27strength showed. And again, a wonderful side foot right in the corner. The goalie didn't have
03:33a chance. So, that was a proper penalty. But as I've said before, I still like to see the
03:38laces through the ball rather than the placement. But a great penalty and well done, Senegal.
03:45Yeah, well done, Senegal.
03:48Let me add, I'm exactly opposite to Nick. I would like to see a well-placed penalty.
03:54Both. Both, Sharp. Both.
03:58But this one had power as well as placement.
04:02Yes.
04:02It was a lovely, lovely finish. Considering the time, it was the 44th minute, right before
04:06half-time. They all knew, had that gone in, it would have changed the complexion of the game
04:11completely. It would have changed the team talks completely as well. With Senegal needing that win,
04:16they got themselves in front. It was a really brave penalty. And in fact, just looking at the
04:20possession stats, Ecuador had more of the ball. They had more shots as well. And they had more
04:25shots on target. But unfortunately for them, their star man, Ena Valencia, who was a doubt
04:31for today's game. He picked up what looked like a bad knee injury against the Netherlands on Friday,
04:35in which he scored. But he was past fit. But to be honest, Sharp, he looked slightly like he wasn't
04:41actually 100% fit. He probably was carrying still a bit of a pain in that knee. But he was a bit off
04:47form today, wasn't he?
04:49He was totally. Perhaps this was his worst performance in this tournament. But Nimran,
04:54if you look at from the first match itself, he was injured. So I think he's been carrying an
05:00injury from that match to the next two matches. So he played the Netherlands match with the injury
05:07and today it was really, really bad. So he was half the man he was in the previous two games.
05:13Yeah, that's a very good point, Sharp. He actually came into the tournament
05:15from Fenerbahce, his team in Turkey, not completely fit. But at 33 years old,
05:20he knows this is probably his last World Cup. He was never going to not play. And to his credit,
05:24he got three goals. He's currently joint leader. Probably he's going to be obviously passed now
05:30with the likes of Netherlands going through who beat Qatar today. There'll be more strikers
05:35getting more than three. But Nick, you know, in the last World Cup in 2018, no teams made it to
05:40the knockout. So Senegal have done that. They've got to the last 16. How far do you think they can
05:44actually go now? Well, it could be runner up in the group. It could be England. We won't preempt
05:52the results later on tonight. But their strength, their teamwork, I think they can go quite a long
06:01way. They've impressed me. I thought Ecuador would win that match. So my prediction was wrong again.
06:08But I thought Senegal were a very strong unit. And let's see where they go. They have a chance
06:16to go even further, I believe. I also believe that they can actually go further in, possibly
06:23at least to the quarterfinal stages. Sharm, do you think they're good enough to reach that
06:29quarterfinals? But it just comes down to that again, you know, how far could they have gone
06:32had Mane been in this team? They're clearly missing that live wire up front, you know,
06:36that cutting edge. Today, they played Idrissa Ghanaghey as the number 10 position. Normally,
06:42he plays quite reserved. He's a defensive midfielder for Everton. But he was playing quite
06:46advanced just to try to get the team onto the front foot. They're doing all these things purely
06:50because they know they're missing the talisman. But they can still do pretty well now, can't they?
06:55Now that they're into the knockouts, it's anyone's now. Yes, that is the point. It is the knockout.
07:03So, it is anybody's game. So, there are no second chances, really. So, not just that,
07:10what is special about Senegal right now is they have the momentum, they have the self-belief.
07:15That will take them far. And you are very right about Sadio Mane missing because they miss him
07:22really bad because he's their talisman. He creates magic for them. I mean, if he was there, I dread
07:30to think what this team could be. Then we are looking at more than a quarter-final. Right now,
07:37I think whoever they're meeting in the round of 16 is going to have a tough time because these guys
07:43are on a swell of… What do you call it? What a ground full of confidence, really.
07:51They're a big, strong team. Yeah, Sham. I mean, they're a big, strong team. Nobody's going to
07:55like to face them in that last 16. I think it could be England if the result goes their way
08:01today against Wales, but that's yet to be seen. All right. Today, the other game was Netherlands
08:06against Qatar. And in the end, Netherlands just… They cruised through by two goals to nil. They
08:11finished top of the table. They've got seven points. They've looked… Sham, they've looked
08:17like they've got way more in them. I mean, they've got through these games that really,
08:22you know, changing gears. It looks like they're still playing in second gear. We know that there's
08:26a good quality team in there. And especially when you've got a player like Gabco, who's scoring
08:31goals for fun now. He's already got… He's also got three goals now in the tournament.
08:35And his transfer price is going to be escalating for sure. I know that his team, PSV, aren't going
08:41to be able to afford to keep him when the January transfer window opens up. There's going to be
08:45teams lining up to try and buy him. But how far now do you think the Netherlands can do? I mean,
08:51they're playing all right, but there's more to come from them, isn't there?
08:55True. Very true. They almost look like sleepwalking through their games. But which is also a worry
09:02because they have not been able to shift gears. They've been just, like you said, on second gear.
09:08So if they don't shift gears, I mean, they might go home in the knockout. So it's time they really
09:14pull up their socks and do something about it. Because right now, their form resembles Gabco.
09:20They've been flashes of brilliance and long periods of mediocrity. I mean, you can't afford
09:26to do that in the knockout. Nick, did you ever think that the Netherlands could go maybe beyond
09:32the quarterfinal stages of the tournament? Did you ever consider them to be one of the fancy teams
09:37like Brazil, Argentina? Well, I think, you know, the group stage is all about qualifying.
09:45It's a long month. So, you know, they got through top of the table. Form can change very easily.
09:52The smaller teams can beat the stronger teams. We've seen that many times. Form can change from
09:58match to match. So, you know, they've achieved their goal, top of the league, top of their group.
10:03So there's still time. And hit a bit of form in the knockout stage. Who knows? You know, the
10:11ones who start fast can miss the round of 16. And those who start slowly, as we've seen in history,
10:19can go all the way. So let's let the Netherlands have strength in depth.
10:24And I like the look of them. And let's see how they get in in the round of 16.
10:29Yeah, that's very true. And of course, they've got a wily old character there in Louis van Gaal.
10:34He's a good coach. He's been around the block. He knows exactly what to do.
10:37So yeah, they're through. So well done to the Netherlands and obviously to Senegal for making
10:42it to the last 16. Tomorrow, we've got four more fantastic games to look forward to,
10:47starting with Poland against Argentina, where we're going to see Lewandowski against Messi.
10:53Now, Sham, you know, these two players, they've got it in them to win a match just, you know,
10:58by themselves with a bit of magic. Who do you fancy, you know, is going to be able to,
11:03is going to win tomorrow?
11:07My money is on Argentina. Simply because Argentina, they came back from the dead,
11:14actually. So I think they have that tailwind with them. Whereas Poland has been just cruising,
11:21but they're just doing enough. So unless Poland hits a higher gear,
11:26they're going to find it tough against Argentina. And Argentina,
11:30I think they are really running into form. So I expect Argentina to win.
11:36Nick, do you believe Sham's assessment there? Do you think Argentina?
11:39Yes, he's right. He's right again, Sham. I think Argentina is the ones who are going to
11:46build the momentum and Messi on form. I can see a celebration with Messi at the end of the match
11:53tomorrow. And Argentina for me against Poland.
11:57All right, we'll see. Now, tomorrow, Saudi Arabia are playing Mexico. But the problem is,
12:02Saudi Arabia captain Salman Al Faraj has been ruled out of the tournament. He's got a shin injury.
12:08He's been playing really well for them. Sham, it's going to be a big miss to lose your captain at
12:13this stage of the tournament. That's probably the last thing that the Saudis would have wanted,
12:17isn't it? Absolutely. And this is a very,
12:19very crucial game for them. So to miss a player of his calibre is a real, real setback for them.
12:26But they're playing Mexico and that's too close to call, I would say, because
12:32they would need every ounce of resource in that match. Not just that, they need every bit of
12:37energy and passion into it. And to lose your captain at a critical juncture, I think is a
12:43setback. It's a huge setback. But, Nick, look, Mexico, they're bottom of the table.
12:48They've only got one point. Saudi Arabia got three points, obviously, from that big win against
12:52Argentina. It'll be a case of, well, it's like a knockout. I mean, Mexico have to go and win this
12:57one. So does Saudi Arabia. How do you see it? It could be a very exciting game, couldn't it?
13:02It could be. We're at the crucial stage where it is arguably knockout in the group stages and
13:08win at all costs. And I just want to refer to the great support from the Senegal fans that I
13:15missed earlier. Wasn't it a great tribute how they, you know, they're 12th man. And who knows,
13:21Saudi may be able to have that similar influence in that game. The crowds have impressed me,
13:27the passion of the crowds. And let's see if the Saudi crowds can take them across the line. I'm
13:32going for Saudi in that one. I also think Saudi, I think I've been really impressed with the way
13:40they've been playing. In fact, I don't just think they're going to be lucky and sneak a win here.
13:43I think they've deserved if they do win, they'll deserve it if they play anything like they did,
13:48especially against Argentina, where they were just so robust and so strong. You know, every man
13:52counted. They all did the jobs really superbly. It was a really professional performance is what
13:57it really was. And on that day, Argentina had no say for it. Perhaps Mexico might struggle
14:03tomorrow. We'll find out. Another game, Australia against Denmark. That should be an interesting one
14:08charm. How do you think, I mean, Australia came back having lost their first match 4-1 against
14:13France. They won their next match 1-0 against Tunisia. Denmark are going to make it quite
14:17tough for them. But where do you see, how do you see this one going tomorrow?
14:22I'm seriously, Emraan, this is a tough match to call.
14:28See, Denmark has been like a middling team. They've been playing at the same pace throughout.
14:35So, see, they are very good at containment. But Australia is exactly the opposite. They are so
14:41robust and so, what do you call it? They are very upfront. They're very in-your-face kind of game.
14:48So, the question is whether Denmark can tame Australia or can Australia keep up their tempo.
14:58I would pick Australia.
15:01OK, but Nick, Australia, no, a draw would be, well, it'd be dangerous, but it would be enough
15:07for them to possibly get that second spot. You know, when the team knows that a draw is all
15:13they need, it can really have a negative impact on the way they play, isn't it? They can go into
15:18the shell and if they concede a goal, they find it really hard to get back out and to score one.
15:23So, with that in mind, what do you think the Australians should do? Just play the attacking
15:27way like Ecuador tried to do today, but unfortunately for them, it didn't work.
15:31What do you think the game plan is for the Australians tomorrow?
15:34I think you have to start with a blank bit of paper and go for a win on merit. Otherwise,
15:39you're sticking or twisting as they stay. I think it's on its own merits, go for the win.
15:49I can see Australia getting that one.
15:51I totally agree with Nick here, Ibrahim, because if Australia were to sit back and defend,
15:57that would be totally out of character for them and they might make far too many costly mistakes
16:02simply because they are not used to playing that kind of game, which would create more problems.
16:10Yeah, it definitely could. Like I said, when a team knows a draw is all they need,
16:14it can have all sorts of negative impacts on the way they normally tend to play.
16:19So, it'll be interesting because it's a knockout, basically. So, we're going to see how they do.
16:25Finally, we know that France is already through into the last 16. They're playing Tunisia tomorrow.
16:32They're going to be probably resting the guys like Mbappé for sure. There's no need to risk
16:36him now. They've got six points. They're already through. Mbappé can take a well-deserved rest.
16:42He's been playing so well. It's a chance probably for some of the squad players to come in.
16:46Nick, how do you think that one's going to go tomorrow?
16:49France all the way. It's important at this stage that you look at the wider squad because they may
16:56be needed in the knockout stages. So, they get a bit of a flavour for the atmosphere in Qatar and
17:04a bit of gameplay, a few minutes on the clock and everything. So, I think France look in a
17:09very good position. They've already qualified and they can go a long way.
17:14They can go deep into this tournament.
17:16Yeah, I think, Shyam, they do look like they can go quite far, maybe retain the title again.
17:22They've been looking, from all the teams, they've been looking, I would say, the best. I mean,
17:26in terms of their defence, their midfield, obviously their attacking play.
17:30They've looked a complete team so far, haven't they?
17:33Absolutely. And they've been the only team who has looked like a complete team, actually.
17:37They're very well-rounded, both in attack, defence and the midfield.
17:44They didn't even miss Benzema, which says a lot, actually.
17:47So, I completely agree that they could very well defend that title,
17:53unless Brazil have other ideas.
17:56Yeah, it should be. That'd be a great final, wouldn't it? That'd be a tremendous game to see.
18:00Anyway, we'll see how all the games get on. There's two more tonight. We'll hopefully talk
18:04about those tomorrow, but in the meantime, head to golfnews.com for all the latest news
18:09and reviews and videos, and lots more. And obviously, check us out on our social media
18:13channels. Thanks to Shyam and thanks to Nick, and we shall see you all tomorrow. Good night.