Senegal defeated Namibia 3-1 at Orlando Stadium in South Africa in the fourth Group H match of the 2022 Qatar International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
Senegalese striker Famara Diédhiou scored a hattrick, two headers and a slick finish to all but seal qualification to the third round for his team.
Diédhiou scored his first goal in the 22nd minute following a cross by Sadio Mané who found him unmarked in the 12-yard-box to beat Loydt Kazapua in goal for Namibia.
However, captain Peter Shalulile pulled one back for the Brave Warriors four minutes later when he clinically finished off a Willy Stephanus cross with his weaker left foot to make it 1-1.
Kazapua then produced a couple of point-blank saves before Stephanus’ free-kick was parried for a corner kick by Edouard Mendy, to leave the teams tied at halftime.
Diédhiou came back to haunt Namibia again when he was left unmarked to head home his second of the game early in the second half.
Wesley Katjiteo then missed two gilt-edged chances in the 60th and 70th minutes of the game, first crashing his header against the crossbar, before shooting wide after being found unmarked at the far post by a Riaan Hanamub cross.
Namibia’s captain Shalulile then robbed Idrissa Gana Gueye of the ball at the edge of the area, but blazed his shot over the bar.
His miss came back to haunt Namibia when Diédhiou completed his hattrick in the 84th minute to effectively eliminate Namibia from the race.
Brave Warriors coach Bobby Samaria was gracious in defeat, saying the game was tough as Namibia conceded all the goals from bad man-marking situations and silly mistakes.
“We had good chances ourselves but failed to convert them. I am proud of the players as they fought hard and left everything on the pitch,” he said, adding that the two next games are important as the team wants to finish second, behind a team of Senegal’s quality.
Senegal now has 12 points from four matches and top the group ahead of Namibia who still has four points in second place. The third place and fourth place is occupied by Congo and Togo respectively, with the former on two points and the latter having amassed a solitary point.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
