Cameroon Win Eliminates Saudis, Senegal and Denmark 1-1

Defending champion France is now on the brink of elimination after a scoreless draw against Uruguay in a Group A match at Busan Asiad Main Stadium.

France is now behind all others in Group A with one draw and one lose. Meanwhile, Denmark and Senegal have four points with one win and one draw each. On top of the absence of playmaker Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry was sent off with a straight red card, which made ‘Les Bleu’ play most of the game a man down. The team finished the game with no goal. Now France should win Denmark at the next match (Incheon, June 11) not to be eliminated and even then its fate will be up to the result of the match between Senegal and Uruguay. There were two cases of Italy in 1950 Brazil World Cup and Brazil in 1966 England World Cup that a defending champion failed to make it to the second round.

Denmark and Senegal drew 1-1 in a Group A match at Daegu World Cup Stadium. Senegal had pulled off a 1-0 upset against France in the World Cup opening match. The debutant Senegal gave away a penalty in the 16th of the first half, which led to a goal by Danish Jon Dahl Tomasson. However, Senegalese midfielder Salif Diao blasted an equalizer in the 7th minute of the latter half. Denmark has one win and one draw, the same tally with Senegal but in the lead of Group A with better goal difference.

Meanwhile, in the Saitama World Cup stadium in Japan where Group E clashed, Cameroon beat Saudi Arabia 1-0. The Saudis, humiliated by Germany at the previous game by 0-8, put up much stiffer resistance against Cameroon but lost by the goal of Samuel Eto in the 20th minute in the first half. Saudi Arabia became the first team to be eliminated from the World Cup. The African champion Cameroon is with one win and one draw, the same tally as Ireland but is the second in Group E with a better goal difference.