Late heartbreak haunts Africa’s World Cup knockout campaign

[p]It has been an unfortunate theme for the continent through the tournament and sparked some debate as to the reason why they cannot see out games.[/p][p]There is no simple answer and each match is different, but it has been frustrating for fans in the knockout stages to see African sides capitulate.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a] have been the only ones to buck the trend and netted a 92nd-minute equaliser via [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diop-issa/Eyqbicqr/"]Issa Diop[/a] against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] that pushed their last-32 tie into extra-time, after which they eventually won on penalties.[/p][p]Here is a look back at the tale of woe.[/p][p] [/p][p][b]Last 32: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/canada-x4toKORL/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=EZmXxG15"]South Africa 0-1 Canada[/a][/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a] had battled to get a foothold in the game but were looking on course to force extra-time and possibly penalties, which then becomes a lottery.[/p][p]But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a] scored their winner in the 92nd minute as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eustaquio-stephen/Uk00cWLU/"]Stephen Eustáquio[/a] crashed in a shot from the edge of the box that was superbly hit.[/p][p]There was no time after that for Bafana Bafana to force an equaliser.[/p][embed guid="b8041d1b-3045-490d-bac0-3325ea2bb020" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsNoqzr-vpM" social-type="youtube" /][p][b]Last 32: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ivory-coast-G2FRjBgn/norway-8rP6JO0H/?mid=tx2IC6G7"]Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway[/a][/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] trailed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] at halftime but levelled the game thanks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/traore-amad/I5Rhq1WL/"]Amad Diallo[/a]’s equaliser on 74 minutes.[/p][p]They had momentum then, but if you give [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] a sniff of a chance, he will punish you and the giant striker did just that.[/p][p]His goal on 86 minutes made it 2-1 to the European side and Ivory Coast could not get a second as they bowed out.[/p][p] [/p][p][b]Last 32: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/d-r-congo-phn9mm8H/england-j9N9ZNFA/?mid=nkoQVAgB"]England 2-1 Democratic Republic of Congo[/a][/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/d-r-congo/phn9mm8H/"]DR Congo[/a] led early through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cipenga-brian/KQL5Shet/"]Brian Cipenga[/a]’s goal on seven minutes and that was how it stayed until 75 minutes, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] equalised for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a].[/p][p]It was frustrating for the Congolese as they had chances to extend their advantage before that.[/p][p]But still they were in the game and heading to extra-time until Kane added a superb second as he rifled in a shot from the edge of the box on 86 minutes to send the Congolese home.[/p][embed guid="56901920-e580-44a1-993a-c969c1904727" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAXEb-V68Vs" social-type="youtube" /][p][b]Last 32: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/belgium-GbB957na/senegal-hOIsJLJr/?mid=vPsIXWOb"]Belgium 3-2 Senegal[/a][/b][/p][p]A painful defeat that will take years to get over as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] essentially struck three times late on, first in ordinary time and then extra-time, to see off a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a] side that were cruising to victory.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diarra-habib/nFakLd1E/"]Habib Diarra[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sarr-ismaila/ll2uTDkB/"]Ismaila Sarr[/a] had the African side 2-0 up and in complete control of the game, until the ‘curse of 86 minutes’ struck again for Africa.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukaku-romelu/dCkG0Iw0/"]Romelu Lukaku[/a] scored at the near post on that mark to make it 2-1, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tielemans-youri/GtkTQyib/"]Youri Tielemans[/a] headed in three minutes later for 2-2.[/p][p]That took the game to extra-time and with penalties looming, Belgium were awarded a spot-kick from which Tielemans made it 3-2 after 125 minutes. There was no way back for Senegal.[/p][p] [/p][p][b]Last 32: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/cape-verde-MocyWdm7/?mid=O4oeJu9d"]Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde[/a][/b][/p][p]A rip-roaring game that ended 1-1 after the 90 minutes and moved into extra-time as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a] matched the world champions with an excellent display.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] led again before a brilliant strike from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lopes-cabral-sidny/t4c8EgYT/"]Sidny Lopes[/a] made it 2-2 as Cape Verde would not lie down.[/p][p]They entered the final 10 minutes of extra-time still level, but Argentina forced a winner when Diney unfortunately deflected the ball into his own net.[/p][embed guid="43e88f51-5a78-4892-81eb-0db29b7c9a8c" url="https://x.com/FIFAcom/status/2074562312250314905?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Last 16: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/egypt-bejDn7NN/?mid=bodsDyte"]Argentina 3-2 Egypt[/a][/b][/p][p]Argentina would again break African hearts, this time in the last 16 with two strikes in the final stages of the game to turn the result on its head.[/p][p]When Ziko put [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] 2-0 up in Atlanta, they looked well on course for victory until the final 11 minutes of the 90.[/p][p]First, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/romero-cristian/jBZTWXMn/"]Cristian Romero[/a] scored for Argentina to make it 2-1, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] found the equaliser on 83 minutes.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-enzo/nZnbEVWP/"]Enzo Fernández[/a] then netted a 92nd-minute winner for Argentina to send them through and condemn Africa to a sixth loss in the final 10 minutes of a game in the knockout stages.[/p][p]Given that eight African sides have gone out at this stage, it means that 75% of those defeats have come to late goals.[/p]