England captain Harry Kane scored twice and Belgium beat Senegal with a last-minute penalty as both sides joined the United States in the last 16 of the World Cup.
England left it late as they relied on their all-time top goalscorer Harry Kane to score twice in a 2-1 win over DR Congo in Atlanta.
DR Congo’s Brian Cipenga fired the underdogs ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, silencing the England-dominated crowd.
The worries grew for superstitious Three Lions fans, with England having not trailed at any point in the tournament until then, nor ever won a World Cup game after trailing at half-time.
Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi kept DR Congo in the game until Kane headed in an equaliser in the 75th minute.
Four minutes from time, Kane struck again to secure England’s place in the last 16.
"This game and the next one are two difficult games for different reasons. But we're in the part of the tournament where you have to grind wins out," Kane said.
England will play Mexico next at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, a venue famous for its high altitude.
Youri Tielemans slotted home a 125th-minute penalty as Belgium produced a sensational comeback from two goals down to beat Senegal in a dramatic last-32 World Cup tie.
Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr had given Senegal a deserved 2-0 lead, and they looked to be cruising into the next round before Belgium scored twice in the final four minutes through Romelu Lukaku and a Tielemans header to force extra time.
Then came the drama.
Senegal's Lamine Camara conceded the penalty after sliding in on Tielemans as the ball flashed across the face of goal, with the decision awarded following a VAR review.
Lukaku looked set to take the penalty but handed the ball to captain Tielemans at the last moment.
"We talked for a while. Romelu said, 'take it'. And I was ready to take it," Tielemans told reporters after the game.
U.S. striker Folarin Balogun continued his impressive World Cup form as his side beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in California.
After having a goal ruled out for offside, Balogun opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with his third goal of the tournament before celebrating with LeBron James's iconic celebration.
Balogun's night then took a dramatic turn. As he challenged Bosnia's Tarik Muharemović for the ball, a tangle of legs resulted in the U.S. forward standing on his opponent's ankle. Following a VAR review, the referee showed Balogun a red card.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, the U.S. sealed victory when Malik Tillman curled in a superb free-kick eight minutes from time.
The U.S. will now face Belgium in the last 16.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” i...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has left for France for a four-day visit aimed at strengthening ties with Paris, including a summit with Frenc...
Adidas is facing calls for a boycott after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in a campaign for its Single Shoe Service, as critics ques...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has left for France for a four-day visit aimed at strengthening ties with Paris, including a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Adidas is facing calls for a boycott after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in a campaign for its Single Shoe Service, as critics question the choice against the backdrop of the Gaza war and thousands of life-changing injuries.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told reporters on Saturday that there is no plan underway to force Palestinians out of Gaza, following Israel's government proposal on relocation plans for people in Gaza.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment