Senegal draw Belgium in World Cup round of 32
Belgium waiting in Seattle
Senegal have been drawn against Belgium in the World Cup round of 32. The match goes Wednesday 1 July at 22:00 in Seattle (1) (2). Belgian media call it the toughest option left on the board, "the most difficult opponent that remained" (3). Your team scraped through as one of the eight best third-placed sides, and now face a genuine contender.
Nine African nations into the knockouts
Africa broke records this cycle. Nine of the continent's ten representatives made it to the second round: Senegal, Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, and DR Congo (8). Only one African team fell in the groups. That is the best return the continent has ever posted.
Third place, but still alive
Senegal qualified as one of the eight best third-placed teams across the groups (7). Not how anyone drew it up, but the door stayed open. Now Belgium, and a shot at turning a rocky group stage into something bigger.
Fan-reaktioner
The mood among Senegal supporters on Reddit is tense. Belgian fans called Senegal the opponent they least wanted to face, and the Seattle venue has drawn attention for its distance and late kickoff time. For a team that fought through the third-place route, the respect is there, but the sense of a mountain to climb is unmistakable. Read the full thread here.
Sources
- 1. nieuwsblad.be — Senegal wordt de tegenstander van de Rode Duivels in de 1/16de finales van het WK (en dat zagen onze lezers net niet graag gebeuren)
- 2. hln.be — Cristiano Ronaldo tegen Luka Modric en Congo tegen Engeland: dit is het volledige schema van de 1/16de finales
- 3. nieuwsblad.be — Senegal wordt de volgende tegenstander van de Rode Duivels: “De moeilijkste optie die overbleef”
- 7. vi.nl — Dit zijn de beste nummers drie die doorgaan op het WK
- 8. ge.globo.com — Copa do Mundo: África classifica nove seleções e é o continente com melhor aproveitamento de vagas