Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has refused to concede defeat in his side’s World Cup campaign, insisting the Teranga Lions remain firmly in the fight for qualification despite a damaging 2-0 loss to Norway.
The defeat left Senegal without a point from their opening two matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, placing them in an unfamiliar and precarious position ahead of their final Group C fixture.
Yet while concerns continue to grow over the team’s chances of reaching the knockout rounds, Thiaw struck a defiant tone during his post-match press conference, insisting the competition is far from over.
“We’re not dead yet,” the Senegal coach declared.
“It’s difficult. It’s the first time that Senegal has made two defeats in a row. But we have our chances.
“The most important thing now is to play the last game and try to win. Why not score goals to cover our goal difference? And hope to qualify.”
The result against Norway represented another frustrating evening for the African champions, who had also suffered defeat in their opening match against France.
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Thiaw admitted his players were punished at crucial moments by a Norwegian side led by Erling Haaland, whose clinical finishing proved decisive.
“I think it was a difficult match against a team from Norway that caused us problems and was very effective,” he said.
“They scored goals at the worst possible times, especially when you take a goal just before going to half-time.”
The Senegal coach acknowledged the emotional blow of conceding on the stroke of the interval before watching his side fall further behind shortly after the restart.
“When we came back, we were still in second place. It wasn’t easy,” Thiaw added.
“Now we have to congratulate them. I encourage my players. We know it’s not easy because we wanted a positive result. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”
Despite the disappointing outcome, Thiaw was keen to highlight the resilience his players showed during the closing stages of the match.
Senegal pushed aggressively in the final minutes in search of a route back into the contest, and although they failed to score, the coach drew encouragement from the team’s response.
“In the last ten minutes, the team had the resources to go get it,” he explained.
“It means that on the mental side, you have to congratulate them, even if we lost.”
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The challenge facing Senegal is now straightforward but difficult. Victory in their final group game is essential, and even that may not be enough without favourable results elsewhere.
Thiaw, however, remains focused on keeping belief alive inside the dressing room.
“I think it’s too early to talk about a failure,” he said.
“It’s a competition. The goal is to qualify.”
Senegal’s hopes may no longer be entirely in their own hands, but their coach has made one thing clear: the Teranga Lions are not ready to surrender their World Cup dream just yet.
