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By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports activities Soccer Author
Editor’s observe: Every day between now and the kickoff of the primary match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Nov. 20, we’ll unveil a unique reminiscence from World Cup historical past. The countdown from 101 continues with Senegal’s surprising win over France in 2002.
So far as World Cup upsets go, few have been as unthinkable as Senegal beautiful defending champion France within the first match at Korea/Japan 2002.
Les Bleus, additionally the reigning European titleholder on the time, most likely had a extra gifted workforce than the one they fielded throughout their triumphant run to the trophy 4 years prior. They have been considerably extra skilled. Senegal, against this, have been collaborating of their first World Cup.
It was an enormous mismatch on paper. However when the whistle blew, any disparity in high quality went out the window.
The previous French colony took a thirtieth minute lead on a aim by the wonderfully-named Papa Bouba Diop, who shot the ball whereas in a seated place. Senegal rode the momentum generated by their tournament-opening victory all the best way to the quarterfinals. In the meantime, Les Bleus by no means recovered from the surprising defeat. Not solely did France additionally fail to win both of their subsequent two video games, they exited the competitors after the group stage with out having managed a single aim.
A senegalese stunner
Senegal shocked the world once they beat France within the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
One of many main soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has coated United States males’s and ladies’s nationwide groups at a number of FIFA World Cups. Earlier than becoming a member of FOX Sports activities in 2021, he was a employees author with ESPN and Yahoo Sports activities. Comply with him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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