Belgium captain Youri Tielemans celebrates scoring his team's third goal against Senegal.
Head coach Rudi Garcia hailed captain Youri Tielemans after the midfielder's last-gasp penalty completed an astonishing 3-2 extra-time comeback victory over Senegal in the FIFA World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday night.
Senegal looked destined for a place in the next round as they held a commanding two-goal cushion with just five minutes of normal time remaining. However, a resilient Belgium produced a dramatic, late fightback through strikes from Romelu Lukaku and Tielemans to force extra time in Seattle.
Tielemans then held his nerve to convert a clinical penalty in the 125th minute of the tie to send Belgium marching into the round of 16. The Aston Villa star faced a lengthy, gamesmanship-fueled delay before taking the spot-kick as furious Senegal players surrounded the penalty area, but he calmly dispatched his effort to cap an improbable turnaround.
"What matters is that Youri Tielemans had the composure and the quality. And once again, we have the experience to take that kind of penalty, because it's not easy," Garcia stated post-match.
