By Dan Catchpole
SEATTLE, July 1 (Reuters) - Senegal coach Pape Thiaw described football as a "cruel game" after his side's late collapse and eventual defeat by Belgium following extra time in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday.
Senegal looked to be a few minutes from confidently dispatching their opponents with a 2-0 win when Belgium equalised with two goals in three minutes and then won 3-2 with a Youri Tielemans penalty late in the extra period.
Senegal had faced controversy coming into the World
Cup.
They were controversially stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title for protesting a penalty decision by leaving the field just before full-time in the final with Morocco in January before returning to win 1-0 after the spot kick was missed.
On Wednesday, several Senegal players were visibly upset when Belgium was given a penalty late in extra time.
It was awarded for Lamine Camara's sliding challenge on Tielemans following a lengthy VAR review.
"We believed that there was no penalty," Thiaw said. "The players tried to challenge the decision. It's their right.
"And then the penalty was taken - and this is the reason why we are now eliminated."
It was Senegal's game to lose with a 2-0 lead in the 85th minute, he said. "However, a football match is not an 85-minute one. Belgium came back, and we were not able to deal with that."
Senegal lost focus when Belgium showed late spark in the match, defender Krepin Diatta told reporters.
"We were determined to write some beautiful pages in the history of our football in this World Cup, and we have to accept that we failed in this mission," he said. "Given what we offered, we shouldn't have lost this match."
Belgium on Monday face the winners of the United States-Bosnia match being played later on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle, Editing by Ken Ferris)
