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Senegal's football team has been trapped in 'football hell' once again, this time at the World Cup, after a late penalty awarded by the video assistant referee (VAR) sealed their 3-2 loss to Belgium. The match, played in Seattle, was marked by a series of contentious VAR calls that left Senegal coach Pape Thiaw feeling like Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology doomed forever to pitch all his efforts into rolling a giant rock up a hill, only to see it crash down again just as he thinks he has reached the pinnacle.

Pape Thiaw, the Senegal national team coach, must surely feel a growing kinship with Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology's underworld doomed forever to pitch all his efforts into rolling a giant rock up a hill, only to see it crash down again just as he thinks he has reached the pinnacle. Thiaw's team played a heavenly game, cruising into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Premier League stars Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr, but their joy was short-lived as Belgium staged a stunning comeback.

Ismaila Sarr, the 28-year-old Crystal Palace forward, has played like an angel for large parts of Senegal's campaign, including this match where he equalled Roger Milla's African record of four strikes at a World Cup. The Cameroon legend registered his four goals at Italia 90, but Sarr will not get the chance to strut his stuff in the last 16 or quarter-finals after his team's exit.

The parallels between the Teranga Lions' last-gasp World Cup exit and January's Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final, in which they were also infuriated by a controversial late penalty awarded following the intervention of the video assistant referee, are mind-blowingly similar. This time, thankfully, no one walked off the field, although coach Thiaw must be feeling like Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology's underworld doomed forever to pitch all his efforts into rolling a giant rock up a hill, only to see it crash down again just as he thinks he has reached the pinnacle.

Coach Thiaw lamented that his team "had the game in hand" before the penalty was awarded, and noted it felt "cruel" to ultimately see success slip through their fingers. The award of Belgium's decisive penalty was once again contentious, with Honduran referee Said Martinez agreeing with the VAR that Lamine Camara's foul on Youri Tielemans gave him the chance to score.

The 125th minute of the match saw the decisive penalty awarded, with Tielemans converting from the spot to give Belgium the win. Thiaw's team had been two goals to the good until Romelu Lukaku pulled the first back for struggling Belgium in the 86th minute. The comeback was the latest any side has overturned a two-goal deficit and gone on to win a game in World Cup history.

Pape Thiaw admitted that his team 'dropped even deeper' after conceding their second goal, allowing Belgium to get back into the game. 'We tried to get back on our feet, but unfortunately it didn’t work,' Thiaw said. The Senegalese team will now be left to ponder what might have been if the VAR calls had gone their way.

Senegal's World Cup campaign is over, and the team will have to wait until the next tournament to try and make amends. For now, they will be left to wonder what might have been if the VAR calls had gone their way.

'We had the game in hand, and it felt cruel to ultimately see success slip through our fingers,' Thiaw lamented.

Ismaila Sarr's second-half effort, a thing of beauty as he deftly controlled a long ball forward on his chest before smashing past Thibaut Courtois, meant the 28-year-old equalled Roger Milla's African record of four strikes at a World Cup. Senegal will be left to ponder what might have been if the VAR calls had gone their way.

Key Facts:

  • Senegal's World Cup campaign ended in a 3-2 loss to Belgium.
  • The match was marked by a series of contentious VAR calls.
  • Pape Thiaw's team had a 2-0 lead before Belgium staged a stunning comeback.
  • Ismaila Sarr equalled Roger Milla's African record of four strikes at a World Cup.
  • Senegal will now wait until the next tournament to try and make amends.

The Senegal national team coach, Pape Thiaw, was left feeling like Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology doomed forever to pitch all his efforts into rolling a giant rock up a hill, only to see it crash down again just as he thinks he has reached the pinnacle after a late penalty awarded by the video assistant referee sealed their 3-2 loss to Belgium.

In the end, the VAR calls proved to be the decisive factor in the game, leaving Senegal's coach Pape Thiaw feeling like Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology doomed forever to pitch all his efforts into rolling a giant rock up a hill, only to see it crash down again just as he thinks he has reached the pinnacle.