SAMARA: Colombia became the fourth South American team to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup after winning 1-0 in Samara against luckless Senegal who were eliminated on their fair play record.

Not one of the five African teams at the finals in Russia have progressed beyond the group stage.

Aliou Cisse’s side were also denied a first-half penalty when VAR judged that Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez had made a legal lunge on Liverpool’s Sadio Mane.

In a thrilling group climax, a Poland goal in Volgograd was sending both teams in Samara to the last 16 but Yerry Mina’s 74th-minute header provided a decisive twist. Jose Pekerman’s men triumphed and Senegal, with two more yellow cards thansecond-placed Japan, went out.

Colombia, who overcame the premature exit of injured James Rodriguez, will now play Group G’s second-placed side – either England or Belgium – in Moscow on Tuesday, with Japan facing the winners of that group in Rostov-on-Don a day earlier.

This is only the third time Colombia have progressed past the World Cup group stages after 1990 and 2014. However Senegal have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven World Cup games, since beating France 1-0 in their first ever match in the tournament.

##############