For 83 minutes the story of Senegal’s World Cup opener with the Netherlands was a story of two absent strikers.
Then the smarts of Senegalese goalkeeper Eduoard Mendy additionally went lacking and the three-times finalists took full benefit.
Mendy missed a cross from Frenkie de Jong permitting Cody Gakpo to move in, then spilled a weak shot from Memphis Depay giving Davy Klaassen a 99th-minute faucet in.
A purpose had beforehand appeared unlikely.
Africa Cup of Nations winners Senegal have been with out their talisman, Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane, compelled out of the event via harm days earlier than it started.
The Dutch have been with out Barcelona’s Depay, sidelined for 2 months on account of a hamstring harm.
Depay did at the least get on the pitch for the final half-hour, however along with his lack of match sharpness made him largely invisible, however his late involvement in Klassen’s purpose.
With out the lethal duo each groups lacked a innovative at Doha’s Al Thumama Stadium.
In an vigorous however scrappy first half the perfect probabilities fell to the Dutch.
However De Jong took too many touches losing an opportunity arrange by Steven Bergwijn and Virgil van Dijk headed broad after rising highest at a nook.
Senegal didn’t threaten till the hour mark, which allowed Dutch goalkeeper Andries Noppert, thrust into the World Cup on his worldwide debut, an opportunity to settle.
The 203cm Heerenveen keeper almost give up two years in the past to hitch the police having by no means established himself as a No.1 wherever.
Such is the pace of his profession turnaround this was solely the 52nd sport of his skilled profession and he admitted earlier than the sport: “That is additionally weird to me. Even a number of weeks in the past I would not have anticipated it.”
Noppert had little to do earlier than the sixty fourth minute when he dived low to his left to show apart a shot from Salernitana’s Boulaye Dia, who had been requested to fill the metaphorically enormous shirt left empty by Mane.
Noppert subsequently made sharp, necessary saves from Idrissa Gueye and Pape Gueye.
Whereas he shone Mendy, a Champions League winner with Chelsea, faltered to depart Senegal dealing with a possible eliminator of their last group match in opposition to Ecuador subsequent week.