DAKAR: Football fans in Senegal are left disappointed after a 3-2 loss at the hands of Norway at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday.
The Senegalese are now under pressure as they have suffered two defeats in Group I, the other loss was inflicted by France – coach Pape Thiaw’s men lost to Les Bleus 3-1 before succumbing to Norway led by Erling Haaland.
With their knockout qualification hopes hanging by a thread, the West Africans must now fight to secure a win in their final group game against Iraq on Friday to stand a chance of going through as the best third-placed finishers.
The Senegalese sit at the bottom of the standings with zero points but have three goals from the two defeats. In his reaction on Monday, Thiaw admits they are in danger, but they have hopes of bagging maximum points.
SENEGAL’S THIAW WORRIED BUT HIS SIDE NOT DEAD
He said it was a difficult game for them against a very strong Norwegian side that put them into very difficult situations as they were very efficient.
“We conceded goals at probably the worst time that we could have, just before half-time and then just after we came out for the second half,” said Thiaw per Reuters.
“But we need to congratulate Norway, and I’m encouraging my players not to be despondent because it wasn’t easy. We were looking for a positive result and looking to go away with three points, but this just didn’t happen for us this evening.
“We’ve got one match to go, and we need to focus on this last game, and try to win and get three points and then cross our fingers. I think it’s a little bit too early to say that we failed. We’re not dead. We’re not in a good position, and it’s indeed the first time that Senegal has started a World Cup campaign with two defeats.
“But we’ve still got a chance to qualify, and we’re going to focus on the last game. We want to try and get those three points and hope that we can go through. Once you’re in the next round, then it’s another tournament that starts.”
At the same time, the Kylian Mbappe-led side was on fire and demolished the struggling Iraqi side by three goals to zero in Philadelphia on the same day. Both Norway and France are on six points and through to the next round.
At the same time, the BBC reported that the team led by skipper Kalidou Koulibaly, who committed an error that led to the goal, is owed match bonuses and that has led to their below-par displays at the global showpiece.
GHANA CARRIES AFRICAN HOPES VERSUS ENGLAND
Looking at the other African powerhouse set to return to action on Tuesday night against the Three Lions, the Black Stars will hope to maintain their winning run.
Guided by former Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz and retired Mamelodi Sundowns keeper, Roger De Sa as his assistant, they will hope to secure a win or at least avoid a defeat against the Englishmen.
Speaking ahead of the eagerly anticipated Group L encounter at the Boston Stadium, captain Jordan Ayew believes his troops are underdogs against Thomas Tuchel’s England, but insisted they will have to prove their quality. Kick-off is at 22:00 (CAT).
He said this as Tuchel led his men to a 4-2 win over Croatia, and both teams are on three points as The Black Stars defeated Panama 1-0 in their opening match.
Ayew spent most of his career in the United Kingdom, having represented clubs such as Aston Villa, Swansea City, Crystal Palace and Leicester City.
“It’s going to be a special game. I’ve been there for 10 years; it’s like my third home because France is my second home,” Ayew told Soccer Africa.
“They’ve been good to me. There have been ups and downs, I’ve experienced everything there, and I have really, really enjoyed my time there.”
The 34-year-old, however, believes Ghana must prove themselves against one of the tournament favourites. The African giants are eyeing a spot in the Last 32 – a win will cement their place, but a draw will keep their hopes alive.
“We have to prove ourselves, and we have to show that we have quality, and we have to be ready for the challenge. We all know it’s going to be difficult, but we are ready. Obviously, I know people don’t think that we will do well, so that is good. I like it when people think like that. We will see when we get there,” he added.
Looking at one of the African representatives, Algeria managed to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Group J to seal a 2-1 win over Jordan on Monday. However, they still have one must win match against the bottom-placed Austria on Sunday to reach the knockout stages.
