Late drama, extra time and tears; Congo, Senegal exit World Cup

ATLANTA: Two African powerhouses suffered a heartbreak in the final minutes of the World Cup despite scoring first. Congo, who were leading 1-0 against England in Atlanta, lost 2-1. Senegal then lost 3-2 to Belgium in Seattle after taking a two-goal lead.

Habib Diarra scored for Senegal in the 24th minute, and Ismaila Sarr in the 51st minute. Romelu Lukaku scored the first goal for Belgium in the 86th minute, and Youri Tielemans scored the second in the 89th minute, sending the game into extra time. Tielemans converted a penalty for a foul in the 120th+5th minute, leaving Senegal supporters across the world in silence.

In another second-round match, the United States reached the pre-quarterfinals by defeating Bosnia 2-0 despite playing with 10 men for the final half hour.

Argentina will face Cape Verde in the second round. The match will be played at 3.30 am on Saturday Indian time. Australia will face Egypt in the match that will be played at 11.30 pm on Friday.