Senegal face make-or-break Iraq test amid turmoil after two World Cup defeats | OneFootball

Senegal, pointless after two World Cup matches, must beat Iraq on Friday at 21:00, perhaps by a margin, to keep last-32 hopes alive via the best thirds. The mood is heavy.

According to L'Équipe, turmoil has mounted. Pape Thiaw’s contract issue lingered into the tournament, the squad left early for the United States before facing France, and injuries to Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye bit. A 2-3 friendly loss and bullish talk preceded the 1-3 defeat by France.

Federation rows and bonus disputes have rumbled, and staff choices raised eyebrows, with no look at Norway’s 4-1 over Iraq in person and a second video analyst arriving mid-event. Early travel then felt like a recipe for boredom.

On the field, the 2-3 loss to Norway on Tuesday deepened the backlash. His faith in seniors, notably the respected Koulibaly, is being tested, the captain having ceded to Mamadou Sarr at the AFCON after injury.

Koulibaly has started here, yet duels with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland demand peak fitness. He says he feels better and better, hinting he was short. Thiaw must now steady relations between hungry youngsters and struggling stalwarts, with Nicolas Jackson fading after 45 lively minutes.

Thiaw maintained nothing is finished, that one match remains, and Senegal must show they are African champions. He said this generation want to better 2002’s World Cup quarter-finalists and already have trophies, unlike that AFCON finalist team. The Lions could still progress and change the tone, or the spring may already be broken.

Source: L'Équipe