Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has urged his players to be more aggressive and compact after their 3-1 defeat to France.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has called on his players to show greater aggression and defensive discipline after their 3-1 defeat to France in their opening Group I match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Lions of Teranga produced an encouraging display for much of the contest and arguably looked the stronger side during a tightly contested first half.
However, they were ultimately punished by the quality of France captain Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice, while Bradley Barcola also found the net.
After a goalless opening 45 minutes, Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 66th minute to give France the advantage.
Barcola doubled the lead late in the game before Ibrahim Mbaye briefly reignited Senegal’s hopes with a stoppage-time goal. Those celebrations were short-lived, though, as Mbappe struck again moments later to seal victory for Les Bleus.
VICTOIREEEEEE !! 💙🔥
Nos Bleus s’imposent pour leur entrée dans la Coupe du Monde 🙌
🇫🇷3-1🇸🇳 #FRASEN | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/AkdgvaQ3Ku
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 16, 2026
Reflecting on the defeat, Thiaw admitted that his team’s defensive approach contributed to the result. The Senegal coach felt his players were too passive at key moments and allowed France too much freedom in dangerous areas.
“There were some mistakes, and it was a collective mistake,” Thiaw said after the match. “At times we defended with a low block and were very passive. We need to be more aggressive when closing down ball carriers so that certain passes and situations do not happen.”
Despite the disappointing result, the Senegal boss remains optimistic about his side’s chances of progressing from the group. With matches against Norway and Iraq still to come, Thiaw believes qualification remains firmly within reach.
The defeat was particularly disappointing given Senegal’s strong form coming into the tournament.
The African side had enjoyed an impressive run of results and arrived at the World Cup with confidence after winning the Africa Cup of Nations before later being stripped of the title in controversial circumstances by CAF.
Thiaw now wants his squad to quickly put the setback behind them and focus fully on their next challenge against Norway. The Scandinavian side opened their campaign with a convincing victory over Iraq and will pose another difficult test, especially with Erling Haaland leading their attack.
An opening match win for Norway 🇳🇴#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 17, 2026
“We need to remobilise the players,” Thiaw said.
“It has been a long time since this team lost its opening match in a competition. We still have two games left and our chances are intact. We must stay focused, improve our organisation, keep the lines closer together, and make sure we are more compact if we want to get the three points in the next match.”
