Senegal out on fair play rule

Africa only shining star at the ongoing World Cup in Russia has been eliminated from the tournament.

Senegal lost to Columbia by a goal to zero while Japan also lost to Poland by the same scoreline.

Sadly, the 2002 World Cup quarter-finalist got knocked out on fair play rule meaning they got more cards than Japan in the game they played after both teams had the same number of goals and points.

According to the rules of FIFA, should two teams have the same number of goals and points, then they will look at the game the two teams played.

Since the game between Senegal and Japan ended in a 2-2 draw, the next tie-breaker rule that has to be applied is the number of cards each team got.

Here, a yellow card = -1, indirect red card (getting two yellow cards) = -3, direct red card = -4, yellow card and direct red = -5.

In the game between the two nations, Senegal’s Mbaye Niang in the 59 minute, Youssouf Sabaly and Cheikh Ndoye in the 90 minute got yellow cards.

Japan, on the other hand, had two players yellow carded in the 68 and 90 minute. Takashi Inui and Makoto Hasebe were the players who got the card.

Had they been given the same number of cards, FIFA officials would have had to do a balloting to decide which team would go to the next stage.