SEATTLE — Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw believes his team has left its difficult group-stage campaign behind and said the World Cup knockout rounds offer a fresh opportunity as his side prepares to face Belgium in the round of 32 on Wednesday.
Senegal advanced as the eighth-best third-placed team after suffering defeats to France and Norway before securing qualification with a 5-0 victory over Iraq, edging Iran on goal difference.
Despite that inconsistent run, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia described Senegal earlier on Tuesday as the strongest third-placed team to reach the knockout stage.
Thiaw acknowledged his side endured a difficult start against high-quality opposition but said those results would have no bearing on Wednesday’s contest.
“We needed to win the game against Iraq and now we are qualified,” Thiaw told reporters. “It’s a new competition that’s going to start and we are determined to win this game.”
“It’s a different competition starting tomorrow and it’s not because you finish top of your group that you are not going to be knocked out,” he added, pointing to the Netherlands’ penalty shootout loss to Morocco in the previous round.
Senegal created opportunities against France before falling 3-1 and was undone by costly defensive mistakes in its 3-2 defeat to Norway.
Thiaw said those setbacks reflected individual errors rather than broader tactical shortcomings and insisted the team had addressed the issues ahead of the Belgium match.
“The goals that we did concede, it was linked to a lot of individual errors,” he said. “When you come up against France and Norway, you cannot afford to be making those mistakes.”
Senegal will again be without first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who suffered an injury during the defeat to Norway and briefly returned to his Saudi club Al-Ahli for treatment.
Mory Diaw replaced Mendy in the victory over Iraq and is expected to retain his place against Belgium.
“Edouard Mendy went back to his club,” Thiaw said. “He’s going to get back with us tonight. He will be with us tomorrow, even if he won’t be fit to play.”
“We are happy to see him and we hope that he can be with us for the rest of the competition.”
