Turkey scores golden goal to sink Senegal
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 | 4:11 PM ET
CBC Sports
Senegal, competing in its first World Cup, exited the tournament after a gorgeous goal in the 94th minute lifted Turkey to a 1-0 victory in quarter-final action from Osaka, Japan.
The World Cup debutantes from Senegal captured the hearts of soccer fans around the globe after it upset defending champions France in the opening game and went on to advance to the quarter-finals - the first African nation to do so since Cameroon at Italia '90.
Ilhan Mansiz (left) tussles with Omar Daf during the Turkey's 1-0 win over Senegal in World Cup quarter-final action on Saturday. (All Sport Photo)
Earlier on Saturday co-hosts South Korea continued its miraculous run in the World Cup, earning a berth in the semifinals after beating Spain via a penalty shoot-out.
Turkey, which last participated in the World Cup in 1954, will now play Brazil in the semifinals on June 26 in Saitama, Japan (CBC, 7:00 a.m. ET/Live; 7:00 p.m. LOCAL/Repeat). That game promises to a very intriguing rematch of the two sides' controversial meeting in the opening round, in which Brazil won on a penalty kick for a foul that actually occurred outside the penalty area.
It was also the game in which Rivaldo's infamous play-acting costing Turkey a red card and cost Rivaldo a hefty fine levied by FIFA.
"Brazil is one of the best teams in this tournament and everyone knows that and sees that," Turkish coach Senol Gunes said. "The first game, we didn't deserve to lose. It was a mistake by the ref. But we have showed our strength in other games. We deserve to be in the semifinals, once again against Brazil."
"[T]he quality of our play is increasing in every game for us, and that is a big advantage."
The Senegalese weren't hanging their heads in defeat, either, least of all coach Bruno Metsu, who let his players become some of the darlings of the tournament by allowing them to play their freewheeling, explosively creative game instead of imposing a rigid, European-style system on them.
"It's been an exceptional adventure here at the World Cup," said Metsu. "I am very proud a small country like Senegal can come to the World Cup and compete among the best in the world."
"Just look what they achieved. Many saw a great team. I hope it will add to the development of African soccer."
"We came here small, we left big," said El Hadji Diouf, Africa's Player of the Year, who did not have one of his better games.
The game was an exciting affair with end-to-end action during the 90 minutes of regulation time. Despite launching a series of raids down on Senegal's penalty area, Turkey couldn't find the back of the net, as its forwards were continually bedevilled by poor touches and terrible finishing.
Turkish captain and all-time leading scorer Hakan Sukur was totally ineffective, misfiring and failing to convert several scoring opportunities. Time and time again Sukur and fellow forward Hasan Sas botched and squandered scoring chances inside the penalty area, letting Senegal off the hook.
Turkey nearly went into the half leading 1-0 but Senegal's Omar Daf made a desperate clearance off the line from a Yildiray Basturk header to keep the game tied 0-0.
Turkey took control after 60 minutes as the Senegalese began to tire and its defence began to wilt under the pressure. Umit Davala did a masterful job of finding space and made several darting runs down the right wing, only to fire crosses into the box that lacked pinpoint accuracy.
Mansiz Ilhan came on as a 67th-minute substitute for Sukur in hopes of providing Turkey with some spark in attack.
Ninety minutes of regulation time ended with the score knotted at 0-0. Gunes' decision to insert Ilhan into the game for Suker turned out to be a shrewd substitution, as the speedy forward scored the game winner in the 94th minute.
Davala picked up a loose ball and made a deep run down the right wing before bending the ball behind two Senegalese defenders and into the middle of the box. Ilhan ran onto the end of the ball and brilliantly stroked it past goalkeeper Tony Sylva with a marvellous volley.
Ilhan's goal, his second of the tournament, was also the second golden goal of this year's World Cup.
"Sukur is one of the best players in Turkey and has contributed extremely well," Gunes said. "He was a little bit unlucky today, and the man who replaced him, he was recently in good form."
The win set off jubilant celebrations back home in Turkey, as fans poured into the streets of the capital of Ankara waving flags and carrying lit red flares, while cars honked their horns in approval.
"It's the biggest day in Turkish sports history," said Mehmet Fidan, 37.
"We're so happy, we never thought we'd get this far," said Funda Cetin, 18, an unemployed former student.
Tempering the jubilant mood was the death of at least one fan in one of dozens of traffic accidents across the country that happened in the wake of the celebrations.
While the bubble burst across Senegal, there was also a great deal of disappointment in France, which had largely jumped on the Senegalese bandwagon after France's unceremonious exit in the first round of the tournament.
There is a very large African community in France, too, which swelled the ranks of Senegal supporters.
"We are gutted at the loss, but we realize that it's marvellous too, they made Africa dream," said Rock Malela, a 32-year-old Congolese who works at Paris' Orly airport.
"The French were really behind Senegal, it's not possible to be French and not have a Senegalese friend. It's so sad," said Rizzla, a disc jockey and singer in a reggae band.
"It's magnificent to have gotten this far, but we hoped for more, even the final," he said.
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With files from the Associated Press
