"Senegal, let's be friends." Japan cites 'trauma' over Belgium's stunning comeback victory → It’s exactly like 8 years ago

*This content was translated by AI.

"Senegal, let's be friends."

Japanese football fans are citing 'trauma' following Belgium's stunning comeback victory over Senegal. This is because Japan suffered an almost identical defeat against Belgium eight years ago.

On the 2nd (Korea time), Belgium defeated Senegal 3-2 in a Round of 16 match at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, USA, during the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup qualifiers to advance to the Round of 16.

Belgium was on the verge of defeat until the final moments of the second half. They conceded two consecutive goals to Senegal in the 24th minute of the first half and the 6th minute of the second half, trailing 0-2. However, Romelu Lukaku scored in the 41st minute of the second half, followed by Youri Tielemans in the 44th minute. In the 5th minute of stoppage time during extra time, Tielemans converted a penalty kick to secure a dramatic comeback victory.

The match was eerily similar to the Round of 16 clash between Belgium and Japan at the 2018 Russia World Cup. Belgium conceded two goals in the 3rd and 7th minutes of the second half but equalized with consecutive goals in the 24th and 29th minutes. Nacer Chadli scored the winning goal in the 4th minute of stoppage time, securing a 3-2 comeback victory.

This was the moment Japan's historic first-ever World Cup quarterfinal appearance was dashed. It took just 14 seconds from when Chadli scored against Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois that Japan produced a documentary titled "The 14 Seconds of Rostov" (named after the stadium).

Following today's Belgium vs. Senegal match, Japanese media outlet Nikkan Sports reported that "online platforms were flooded with praise for Belgium, who overturned a 0-2 deficit after the 40th minute of the second half to achieve a stunning comeback victory, alongside reactions saying 'The nightmare from eight years ago is resurfacing.'"

According to the media, Japanese fans posted comments such as "Japanese people are sick and tired of Belgium coming back from behind at the last moment," "Belgium was just like Belgium today," "Japan might become good friends with Senegal," and "A comeback from 0-2 by Belgium is a complete trauma."

Nikkan Sports added, "Japan conceded the winning goal after being counterattacked by Belgium during a corner kick in stoppage time. Since this was a heartbreaking ending that left deep scars in Japanese football history, many people on social media recalled that moment."

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*This content was translated by AI.