Senegal through to quarter-finals

Sweden 1 Senegal 2 (Senegal win on golden goal)

Senegal created history by becoming only the second African nation to reach the quarter-finals of World Cup after the ice-cool Swedes ultimately wilted in the heat of the Japanese sun.

Two-goal Henri Camara was the Senegalese hero, first hauling the Lions of Teranga level just before the break after Celtic’s Henrik Larsson had given the Swedes an 11th minute lead.

With the stalemate unable to be broken inside 90 minutes, Sedan striker Camara struck again in the 104th minute as Senegal went through to the last eight on the golden goal rule.

Freddie Ljungberg failed in his late bid to make a return to the Sweden side for the World Cup second-round clash with Senegal in Oita.

Ljungberg was able to train for the first time in a week yesterday, albeit not at full pace, following a recurrence of an ongoing hip injury which is currently wrecking his tournament dreams.

The Arsenal midfield star had been limping and was in pain in the early part of the week due to what team doctor Magnus Forssblad has described as ‘‘a locking’’ of the joint.

Although that eased and Ljungberg was initially able to enjoy pool exercises before joining his team-mates at the impressive Big Eye Stadium yesterday, he ultimately failed a late fitness test.

It meant coaches Tommy Soderberg and Lars Lagerback naming an unchanged team from the one which dramatically drew with Argentina on Wednesday, a result which confirmed Sweden’s place in the last 16.

Senegal, bidding to become only the second African side to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament, with Cameroon the initial trailblazers at Italia 90, were forced into one definite change.

Coach Bruno Metsu was again without Salif Diao, completing a two-match ban, but also Khalilou Fadiga after the key midfielder picked up his second booking of the competition in the enthralling 3-3 draw with Uruguay.

With Alassane Ndour dropped to the bench, Metsu drafted in Amdy Faye from Auxerre and Pape Thiaw, the Strasbourg striker making his tournament debut.

The beat of the African drums from a small group of Senegalese fans at one end of the stadium was relentless, but it was Sweden who should have taken the early lead.

After Tobias Linderoth had seen a 25-yard half-volley comfortably saved by Tony Sylva in the third minute, it was Southampton’s Anders Svensson who then created the next chance.

A free-kick 10 yards outside the Senegal area was played out wide to Olof Mellberg for the Aston Villa defender to drive in a first-time shot which the outstretched right leg of Sylva stabbed away.

The ball kindly fell to Magnus Svensson, but with the goal gaping he sidefooted the rebound well wide much to his disgust.

Senegal settled and soon responded in the ninth minute with Thiaw, playing behind the front two, running onto Omar Daf’s long ball but ultimately lifting his shot over the crossbar.

On arguably the hottest day of the tournament so far, the ice-cool Swedes then took an 11th-minute lead, with Celtic’s Henrik Larsson grabbing his third goal of the tournament.

Anders Svensson swung in a corner which Larsson headed home into the bottom right-hand corner, beating Sylva to the punch and with the ball evading the attention of captain Aliou Cisse on the line.

Senegal should have had a penalty moments later when Andreas Jakobsson clearly bundled El Hadji Diouf off the ball inside the area, but Paraguayan referee Ubaldo Aquino waved away appeals.

Sweden then played with 10 men for four minutes after Everton’s Niclas Alexandersson suffered a clash of heads with Daf, resulting in the winger requiring treatment in the dressing room.

In his absence Senegalese celebrations were stifled by Canadian linesman Hector Vergara whose raised flag prevented Papa Bouba Diop scoring his fourth goal in four games as he was judged to be marginally offside in turning home Diouf’s low ball.

Alexandersson then returned in the 28th minute with his head bandaged.

Sweden had their own spot-kick shout in the 34th minute when Marcus Allback fell under the challenge of Daf, but this time Aquino was correct in not awarding the penalty.

At that stage Senegal were controlling the pace of the game and they deservedly equalised in the 37th minute courtesy of a stunning goal from Henri Camara.

The Sedan striker first delightfully chest-trapped Diouf’s chipped through ball, his first touch allowing him to sidestep away from Sweden skipper Johan Mjallby, while his second was a crisp 20-yard drive beyond Magnus Hedman.

Camara should have had a second three minutes later as he was left totally unmarked just seven yards out in meeting Faye’s left-wing cross, but he glanced his header well wide.

Anders Svensson, free-kick hero against Argentina, then came close to repeating the feat against Senegal as he brilliantly curled a 25-yarder round the wall, but with the ball heading for the top left-hand corner, Sylva pulled off a superb save.

In the 49th minute Magnus Svensson’s attempt at a cross struck Cisse in a very sensitive area, resulting in the Senegal skipper slumping to the floor in agony, but able to continue within a minute.

Despite almost the entire pitch now covered in shade, partly helping the Swedes, the temperature was still high and it would be a question of whether the Scandinavians could pace themselves better than they did in the first half.

They had the opening chance of the second, with an Alexandersson right-wing cross skimming off the head of Cisse and falling to Allback, but his volley into the ground was picked off by the diving Sylva in front of a crowd of just under 40,000.

In the 56th minute Sweden then built a rare attack, with Larsson’s left-wing cross knocked down by Allback for Anders Svensson to connect with a 15-yard volley which he blazed wide.

Senegal soon countered, with Faye delivering a low ball into the heart of Sweden’s penalty area, but Thiaw - like Svensson before him - should have at least been on target, only to stab his shot wide.

Both teams made a change soon after, with Senegal’s enforced as Pape Malick Diop was stretchered off with an injury to his right angle, leading to Habib Beye coming on within a minute of Andreas Andersson replacing Allback up front for Sweden.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a 76th minute sub for Alexandersson, then had the best - and last - chance of the second half for after superbly turning inside Cisse three minutes later, his left-foot drive was superbly saved by Sylva.

When the final whistle sounded, the World Cup was then about to witness its first extra 30-minute period, with the golden goal rule coming into play.

Faye let fly from 30 yards in the 93rd minute, but the rising shot just cleared the bar, while Hedman appeared to have the shot covered anyway.

Thiaw was cautioned soon after for attempting to win a penalty, joining team-mate Fernando Coly in the book, the defender picking up the game’s first yellow card in the 73rd minute.

Anders Svensson was then within a whisker of settling the game in the 95th minute as he brilliantly turned Lamine Diatta with a delightful piece of skill, only to see his rasping left-foot shot hit the outside of the post.

Diouf then showed off his talent moments later, but his finish was wayward as he flashed his shot through the six-yard box.

Matias Jonsson replaced Brondby team-mate Magnus Svensson in the 100th minute, but it was Senegal who went on to create history.

Just under two minutes from the end of the first period, Camara went on a mazy run which ended with a left-foot shot which beat Hedman in off his right-hand post.