The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Kenya

Jan 30 1300 GMT Senegal - Kenya 3:0 (final score)

Before the match
- Senegal can neither qualify for the quarter finals nor become eliminated today
- Kenya will need at least a draw against Senegal to avoid premature elimination

1st half
-Senegal in all white, Kenya in red with black stockings
-('1) Senegal: only 40 seconds played, it is Niang, unchallenged, with a header wide from close range
-('4) Senegal: brilliant through ball by El Hadj Diouf on Mamadou Niang. It looks like a Ferrari against a bycicle when Niang races away from his defender with the ball. He has time to curve around the keeper and score - 1:0
-('7) Kenya: Okoth fires a shot towards the Senegalese goal but wide
-It looks like professionals against boys when Senegal attack. The Senegalese strikers are physically superior by far.
-Kenya try some nice combinations to work aroud the Senegalese the few occasions they get the ball into the last third of the field
-This requires some patience and they must not make too many errors to prevent running into a counter attack like at the goal
-('12) complacant Diop loses the ball in front of his penalty area but Oliech cannot get around the last defender
-('13) another half chance for Kenya after conquering the ball again in the Senegalese half
-('14) Kenya: third successive blunder in the Senegalese defence allows Oliech to fire on target, but the keeper saves
-('18) Senegal: Camera from close range, half left side, saved for a corner
-('19) Senegal: the insuing corner is poorly defended, the first Senegalese attempt is cleared from the goalline but #19 Diop? takes the rebound and fires it into the goal from about 12 meters - 2:0
-('23) Senegal: Camera, coming from the right wing, slaloms through the defence and from 20 meters central to the goal fires, but right on the keeper
-('25) rough challenge by Kenyan #4 against El Hadj Diouf but only yellow carded
-Diouf is treated several minutes on the sideline. But he comes back.
-('31) Mamadou Niang shows his class as he fires into the net from 20 meters after a run parallel to the goal, including a one-two with Diouf - 3:0
w-to win by three would be important for Senegal: In case the Mai - Burkina Faso encounter ends in a draw, such a result will give the Senegalese lions an advantage in the last match against Mali, who have beaten Kenya only by two (3:1)
-Kenya: Oliech has more problems with the Senegalese defenders and cannot impress like in the first match
-Senegal pass the ball around and control the match

halftime 3:0
It looks like professionals against boys. Senegal are sharp, except for a few compacency errors in defence. Mamadou Niang is a real striking force and has added what was maybe misssing 2002. Still they alack a bit the inspiration by absent Fadiga. They will have to concentrate to keep up the three goal margin, that will provide them with a possibly necessary advantage over Mali.

2nd half
-('48) a missunderstanding between keeper and defender and El Hadj Diouf almost scores
-('60) Kenya: great solorun by Oliech, he curves around several defenders and the keeper but his shot is cleared from the line by Diop. A second attempt flies wide
-('64) the Senegalese allow Kenya a not properly challenged header. It seems they might be ready to waste their advantage in goal difference
-('69) Senegal: Kamara and Mendy in for Diouf and Niang
-('70) another good chance for Kenya, blocked for a corner in the last moment. The Senegalese defence dow not look well at that corner either.
-('73) Senegal: Henri Camera races through the defence, a defender can steal the ball with a stretched leg. The keeper has no choice to prevent an own goal by saving with his hands. The referee interprets it as a back pass, which is harsh
-('74) Senegal: the insuing indirect free kick is hammered against the crossbar from 10 meters by Henri Camera
-Senegal are satisfied with controlling the match, while Kenya seem to get tired
-('90 3) Senegal: Diop gets a (stupid?) late yellow card
- the match ends with a gesture between the two teams after the match building a circle together in midfield and praying?

final score 3:0
Kenya are eliminated, they cannot qualify for quarter finals anymore