Edouard Mendy Senegal.Getty Images.

Senegal Player Ratings: Mendy shines as Teranga Lions outwit World Cup hosts Qatar

Senegal registered their first victory in the ongoing World Cup finals after beating Qatar 3-1 on Friday.

This was the first meeting of any kind between the hosts and the West Africans. It’s also the first time Senegal have ever faced the host nation in a World Cup match.

Meanwhile, it took the group rivals time to settle into the game with Qatar preferring long balls forward. The Teranga Lions, on the other hand, tried to control proceedings but Qatar’s strategy of high balls made it difficult to deal with.

As the game progressed, Qatar remained compact and disciplined while out of possession, and this posed a challenge to Senegal, who could not find a solution to the problem for most of the first half.

The reigning African champions returned from the half-time break hungrier and scored two more goals that condemned the Middle East nation to a second straight defeat.

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