2026 World Cup: Pape Thiaw's first reaction after the draw | OneFootball

Pape Thiaw

The head coach of Senegal's Lions of Teranga, Pape Thiaw, shared his thoughts after yesterday's 2026 World Cup draw.

France and Senegal will face off in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup. Both sides have been placed in Group I, alongside Norway and a yet-to-be-determined playoff winner. Following the World Cup draw, the boss of the Lions of Teranga expressed his excitement ahead of the challenge against Les Bleus in the tournament.

"It's always a pleasure to play against France. It's a country we know well. For me, it's my second home. Twenty-four years later, we're facing them again. In 2002, things went well for us. This won't be an easy match; we're in a tough group. (...) But before that, we have an important competition, the Africa Cup of Nations. We'll prepare for it thoroughly. These are two different competitions. We care about the AFCON—it’s the tournament of our continent. We want to win it," explained the Senegalese tactician, as reported by RMC Sport.