Henri Camara's double did for Sweden (Allsport).

By Ian Parkes, PA Sport, Sendai

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Johan Mjallby has conceded Sweden blew a golden chance of World Cup glory - but is refusing to condemn the manner in which his side were sent packing from the Far East.

Henri Camara joined France star Laurent Blanc as the only other player to score a World Cup golden goal as African giant-killers Senegal continued to produce the shock stories of the tournament.

Camara's cool 104th-minute finish, completing a brace after earlier cancelling out a header from Celtic striker Henrik Larsson at Oita's Big Eye Stadium, ensured Senegal made history.

The Lions of Teranga became only the second African team to reach the last eight, leaving the Swedes to rue the missed opportunity of at least emulating their feat of 1994 when they finished third.

Mjallby, who is now considering quitting international football in the wake of his side's demise, recognises there is no simple solution to ease the heartbreaking pain of being knocked out of the World Cup when a game goes beyond 90 minutes.

The 31-year-old Celtic centre-back would certainly prefer to suffer the agony of a golden goal exit, rather than a nerve-shredding defeat on penalties as the Republic of Ireland were made to endure last night against Spain.

UEFA are currently considering scrapping the golden goal, which could be in effect for the 2004 European Championships, but world governing body FIFA are not expected to follow suit.

For now, the golden goal stays, leaving a disconsolate Mjallby to reflect. He said: "It's going to take a long time to get over this, although maybe after a couple of weeks' holiday I will see things from a new perspective, but I'm bitterly disappointed.

"I still think the golden goal is a fair way to decide games. I can't complain about it because a couple of minutes before Senegal scored we had a real opportunity.

"When Anders Svensson hit the post we were only a couple of inches away from going through to the quarter-finals ourselves.

"Obviously you are going to be disappointed to go out this way, but it is a better way than a game being decided on penalties."

Mjallby concedes he "just wanted the earth to open up and swallow me" when Camara curled home the winner in off Coventry goalkeeper Magnus Hedman's right-hand post to set up a last eight showdown with either co-hosts Japan or Turkey.

The prospect of either Senegal, Japan or Turkey in a World Cup semi-final is surely one nobody thought possible before the tournament began, leaving Mjallby with regrets at Sweden's failure to beat the surprise-package Africans.

"The one thing I am unhappy about is that after we scored first we started to play negatively and we let them take over the game too much," added Mjallby.

"In the extra period we started off well and we looked strong and were confident, but all credit to Senegal because they are a good team and hopefully they'll continue to progress. If they do, it will at least look better for us.

"To be fair I watched Senegal a couple of times on television and I knew they were a strong side, but I'm still very disappointed because this was a good chance for us to at least achieve what we did in 1994."

Realising he will not be playing in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Mjallby stated: "It's a chance which I know I'm never going to experience again."