At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 23, Norway defeated Senegal 3-2 in a Group I that is already closing in on the reigning African champions. Marcus Pedersen opened the scoring at the 43rd minute by intercepting a disastrous back-pass from Kalidou Koulibaly, before Erling Haaland delivered a devastating double at the 48th and 58th minutes. Ismaïla Sarr pulled two back — at 53' from a Sadio Mané assist and at 93' set up by Nicolas Jackson — but never brought Senegal level.
The defeat owes less to Norwegian quality than to Pape Thiaw's decisions. The head coach fielded the same starting eleven that had already lost to France (1-3), including a Koulibaly visibly short of match sharpness and directly involved in all three Norwegian goals. Fresher options such as Ibrahim Mbaye were only introduced once the game was beyond reach. The captain himself acknowledged after the final whistle that he had made critical errors and bore a heavy share of responsibility for the outcome.
With zero points from two games, Senegal faces elimination unless they beat Iraq in Toronto on June 26 — the only group opponent still available after losses to both France and Norway. A wide-margin victory is required to reach the top eight third-placed sides, but the coaching staff must now overhaul the lineup and finally trust the younger generation that this World Cup has barely seen on the pitch.
Comments
By posting, you agree to our privacy policy.