2018 World Cup: Panama 1-2 Tunisia - As it happened

by Graeme Jackson

Thursday Jun 28, 2018. 21:49

Welcome to as-it-happened coverage of the 2018 World Cup Group G match between Panama and Tunisia from the Mordovia Arena in Saransk.

Line-ups

Panama: Jaime Penedo, Adolfo Machado, Luis Ovalle, Fidel Escobar, Román Torres, Anibal Godoy, José Luis Rodríguez, Edgar Barcenas, Ricard Alvi, Gabriel Gómez, Gabriel Torres

Tunisia: Aymen Mathlouthi, Hamdi Nagguez, Oussama Haddadi, Rami Bedoui, Yassine Meriah, Naim Sliti, Ellyes Skhiri, Ferjani Sassi, Ghailene Chaalali, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, Wahbi Khazri

Commentary (press F5 to refresh)
All times CAT

90+8' - Full time - Africa's participation at the 2018 World Cup comes to an end on a positive note as Tunisia defeat Panama 2-1.

90+3' - Yellow card - A late caution for Chaalali after a reckless challenge.

90+1' - There will be five minutes of added time.

89' - Substitution - Bassem Srarfi replaces Khazri in Tunisia's final change. And the Carthage Eagles have now used all 23 of their players at this tournament.

87' - Good play from Ben Youssef to protect possession as Tunisia look to see the game out.

84' - Closing in on a win for Tunisia, at least Africa's involvement will end on a positive note if the score line stays the same.

81' - Substitution - Abidel Arroyo replaces Alvi for Panama.

80' - Yellow card - Gomez cautioned for catching Chaalali with his studs.

78' - Yellow card - Alvi is booked after catching Ben Youssef in a challenge.

76' - Substitution - Sliti makes way for Ahmed Khalil in Tunisia's second change.

73' - Barcenas cracks home a fine shot from the edge of the box, but the goal is scratched off for Panama! The referee has pulled back play for a foul on Meriah.

71' - Yellow card - Badri booked for some shirt pulling.

70' - Panama look to get back on level terms, Rodriguez gets a shot away on the turn but it's comfortably saved by Mathlouthi.

68' - Midway through the second half, are Tunisia on course to end the tournament on a high?

66' - GOAL! Panama 1-2 Tunisia - Haddadi tees up Khazri and he scores from close range to put Tunisia ahead!

63' - Mathlouthi spills a cross but then does really well to block a shot from Barcenas!

62' - Khazri tries a powerful low shot from the right side of the penalty area, but it's easily held by the Panama goalkeeper.

59' - Corner kick to Tunisia, but the North Africans can't carve out a scoring chance. Just over half an hour to play.

56' - Substitution - Roman Torres succumbs to injury and Luis Tejada is on in his place.

53' - Almost a second goal for Tunisia! Khazri is tripped up, the referee plays advantage and only an excellent save from Penedo prevents Ben Youssef from scoring another!

51' - GOAL! Panama 1-1 Tunisia - Great football from Tunisia, Sliti puts Khazri in space out wide, his low ball finds Ben Youssef, who fires home from close range for 1-1!

50' - News from the other Group G game is that Adnan Januzaj has scored to put Belgium 1-0 up in Kaliningrad.

46' - Substitution - Both teams make a change as we get back underway in the second half: Anice Badri replaces Sassi for Tunisia, and Harold Cummings replaces Gabriel Torres for Panama.

45+3' - Half time - Panama lead 1-0 at the break thanks to a lucky goal. Tunisia will need to score at least once in the second half to avoid a hat-trick of losses.

45+1' - Khazri sees a shot saved by Penedo and then Ramon Torres has to sweep the loose ball away!

45' - There will be two minutes of added time.

44' - Yellow card - Sassi into the book for a foul on Rodriguez.

43' - It's goalless in the other Group G match between England and Belgium in Kaliningrad.

41' - Haddadi with another good cross, Khazri volleys... high and wide, great chance missed!

39' - Haddadi crosses from the left, Ben Youssef with a glancing header... just wide of the far post!

38' - Tunisia look for a quick response, but a ball for Khazri down the right doesn't find its target.

34' - It's been credited as an own goal by Meriah, most unfortunate for the defender.

33' - GOAL! Panama 1-0 Tunisia - A lucky goal for Panama! Rodriguez takes a crack from outside the box, the ball deflects off Meriah and completely wrong-foots the 'keeper!

31' - Past the half hour mark, still goalless in Saransk.

28' - Tunisia looking to build with some neat, short passing, but Panama's defence is solid so far.

25' - Chaalali gets a talking to from the referee after tripping up Barcenas.

23' - Midway through the first half, 0-0 between 'Los Canaleros' and the 'Carthage Eagles'.

21' - Great pass from Sassi to give Sliti half a chance on the edge of the box, but the forward can't get any power on his touch toward goal.

19' - And now a corner kick, which sees Khazri cross from the second phase and Penedo does well to gather a scruffy effort off Bedoui's shoulder.

18' - Alvi gives away a free kick, Tunisia with a dead-ball chance out wide on the right.

15' - Nagguez crosses from the right, well claimed by goalkeeper Penedo.

13' - Tunisia with the first corner kick of the match, but they fail to make anything of it.

10' - Khazri tees up Sliti, but his ambitious effort is sliced way wide of the mark.

9' - Alvi tries a long-range effort with the aim of catching Mathlouthi off his line, but it's well off target.

6' - Great work from Sliti on the left, but Ben Youssef isn't quite able to direct a good shot on goal from the cross.

5' - Khazri earns a free kick on Tunisia's right flank. The winger curls a cross into the box, but it's too high for any of his teammates.

2' - Early pressure from Tunisia, the North Africans look keen on putting on an attacking show.

1' - Kick-off - We are underway in Saransk! Panama wear all-red, Tunisia are in all-white.

19h50 - But both sides will be keen on putting in a strong showing and ending the tournament on a high.

19h40 - This match is of course a dead-rubber, with both Panama and Tunisia having suffered back-to-back losses against England and Belgium.

19h30 - Half an hour to kick-off. Sadly this will be the last we see of an African team at the tournament following Senegal's elimination earlier today.