Fifa World Cup: Senegal beat Poland for first African win at Russia 2018
Controversy over side’s second and late goal from Krychowiak added drama to the final game from match day one in Moscow
West Bromwich Albion midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak got Poland back in the game with an 86th-minute header but Senegal hung on at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium.
In a match billed as a straight fight between super-strikers Robert Lewandowski and Sadio Mane, neither scored but Liverpool striker Mane set up Idrissa Gueye for the shot that took a wicked deflection off Cionek, leaving Szczesny totally wrong-footed in the Polish goal for Senegal’s opener on 37 minutes.
The West Africans doubled their lead on the 60-minute mark when the experienced Juventus goalkeeper had a moment to forget.
Krychowiak put Poland in trouble with a woeful bouncing back pass, but Szczesny opted rashly to charge out of his penalty area. The speedy M’Baye Niang got in front of his defender, nicked the ball away from Szczesny and rolled it into the empty net.
The goal sparked wild celebrations among the Senegalese players and incredulity among Poland’s.
After a tight first half-hour, it was the always-threatening Niang who was at the heart of Senegal’s opening goal.