Senegal Coach: We're Not Dead Yet

Senegal's national team finds itself in a precarious position after suffering two consecutive losses to France and Norway at the start of the World Cup. However, head coach Pape Thiaw, as reported by Reuters, believes their hopes of advancing are not yet extinguished.

"I think it was a tough match for us against a very strong Norwegian team that put us in many difficult situations because they were very effective," Thiaw commented. "We conceded goals probably at the worst possible moments – just before halftime and immediately after we came out for the second half. But we have to congratulate Norway, and I encourage my players not to despair, because it wasn't easy. We were looking for a positive result and wanted to leave with three points, but it just didn't happen for us tonight," he added.

The best Senegal can hope for is to secure one of the eight spots reserved for the best third-placed teams. To even have a chance, they must defeat Iraq in their final group stage match in Toronto on Friday. "We have one more game, and we need to focus on it to try and get three points, and then keep our fingers crossed," Thiaw stated.

"I think it's too early to say we've failed. We're not dead. We're not in a good position, and it's true that this is the first time Senegal has started a World Cup campaign with two losses. But we still have a chance to qualify, and we will focus on the last match. We want to try and get those three points, and we hope we can advance. Once you're in the next round, a different tournament begins," the coach affirmed.