Africa will not have any representative in the last-16 of the FIFA World Cup in Russia after Senegal were eliminated on Thursday.
Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Morrocco had previously crashed out leaving the continent’s hopes on the Terenga Lions.
Colombia’s Yerry Mina thumped home a second-half header to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory over Senegal that catapulted the South Americans into the World Cup last-16 and dumped their African opponents out of the tournament.
Senegal had only needed a point in their final Group H game to reach the next round, but defeat saw them miss out to Japan, who edged them out of the runners-up spot by virtue of having a better disciplinary record.
It was the first time in World Cup history that two teams had been separated by the number of yellow cards they had accrued in the tournament.
Both Senegal and Japan, who were beaten 1-0 by Poland on Thursday, finished the group with four points and an identical record in all other respects. Yet the Asian side ended in the second position having picked up four yellow cards to Senegal’s six.
Colombia, who finished as group winners with six points will face a last-16 match against the runners-up in Group G where England and Belgium battle for supremacy later on Thursday.
Defeat for Senegal eliminated them at the group stage in their first World Cup appearance since 2002 and left Africa without a representative in the knockout stages.
Senegal had been heading through until the 74th minute when Mina rose to meet a corner and sent a bullet header into the net.
It was a crushing blow to the Senegalese who had been the better side for most of the game and had a penalty award overturned in the first half after a VAR review.
