Solbakken: "We're Not Doing Math, I Have Great Respect for Senegal"

Norway's return to the World Cup after 1998 began with a resounding 4-1 victory over Iraq. However, Scandinavian coach Ståle Solbakken stated that their next task is "to demonstrate the same value and team identity against Senegal, who possess the speed and quality to punish any drop in performance."

Norway currently tops Group I on goal difference, ahead of Qatar 2022 runners-up France, with star striker Erling Haaland netting twice in their opening match. Senegal, having lost 1-3 to France, needs to react by securing at least a point to keep their hopes of reaching the Round of 16 alive.

Solbakken, however, declared that Norway is neither intimidated by the match's importance nor by their opponent – a team boasting several top-tier European-based players – and expressed significant respect for the African side.

"I'm not afraid of tomorrow's match, but I have great respect for Senegal," Solbakken stated at a Sunday press conference. "They are a fast and high-quality team, and we must be ready to face that. We'll need to defend against their wingers and be wary of their counter-attacks. Sadio Mané is a great player, but the most important thing for me is to maintain our identity and stick to what we do best. That's what makes us the Norway you know on the pitch."

Norway navigated the qualifiers flawlessly with eight wins from eight matches, scoring 37 goals. A victory would put them in contention for the top spot in the group in their final match against France. However, Solbakken emphasized that Norway isn't focused on calculations or permutations.

"We're not doing math or anything like that. We need to deliver another good performance, continue to improve, and think about qualification later, at another time," he said.

Haaland will once again carry much of Norway's attacking burden after his two goals in the first match, though Solbakken noted that the Manchester City striker requires the support of his teammates to function effectively.

"Haaland is in excellent form, and hopefully, he has more goals ahead of him here," he said. "But he needs help, and I hope we can provide that with our team support. Hopefully, he will continue to delight us with goals."

Solbakken expressed slight concern about the pitch conditions, noting that its preparation seemed more improvised than tailored for a football match.

"We inspected the pitch, and it's a bit like artificial turf – short and hard underneath," he said. "It seems unsuitable for teams that like to keep possession."

"Of course, if the pitch is dry, that would be a problem, but the forecast for tomorrow is rain, so that should help. But there's nothing we can do; that's the situation."