DOHA: Senegal sent the host team to a second loss at their home tournament on Friday after seizing on a defensive error from the Qatar team for the opening goal in a 3-1 victory.
Qatar’s elimination from the World Cup could now come on Friday and less than a week into the tournament they have been preparing to play in for 12 years if Netherlands and Ecuador draw in the day’s other Group A game, or if the Dutch win.
Senegal, on the other hand, got their campaign back on track after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in the first match.
Against Qatar, Senegal striker Boulaye Dia drilled in the first goal after defender Boualem Khoukhi tried to make a clearance under no pressure, didn’t connect properly and landed on his backside. The ball dribbled away from Khoukhi.
And Dia, grateful for the gift, lashed it in.
Famara Diedhiou made it 2-0 at the start of the second half with a header from a corner while two Qatar defenders failed to stop him.
Qatar were denied a penalty and the chance of the lead before Dia’s goal, though, when Akram Afif was clear on the left and then knocked over by a charging Ismaila Sarr. Referee Antonio Mateu of Spain didn’t award a penalty even though replays suggested that contact was made.
Qatar did at least score a goal through substitute Mohammed Muntari. He headed in to finally beat Edouard Mendy after the Chelsea goalkeeper had pulled off two world-class saves to deny Qatar, which rallied in the second half.
But Qatar’s hopes of a fightback to boost their qualification chances lasted six minutes before Senegal substitute Bamba Dieng reestablished the two-goal advantage.
Qatar’s second defeat of the World Cup — they lost 2-0 to Ecuador in the opening game — push them to the brink of an exit.
Qatar have already made unwanted history as the first host to lose the opening game of the tournament and, while South Africa in 2010 are the only other host team to be eliminated in the group stage. The South Africans at least went out with a win and a draw from their three games.
Qatar lose 3-1 to Senegal, host nearing World Cup exit
https://arab.news/z889q
Qatar lose 3-1 to Senegal, host nearing World Cup exit
- Qatar’s elimination from the World Cup could now come on Friday
- Referee Antonio Mateu of Spain didn't award a penalty even though replays suggested that contact was made
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.
The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.
The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports.
“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.
The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
