World Cup 2026: Pape Thiaw confident ahead of France clash

Senegal national team head coach Pape Thiaw held a press conference Monday to discuss the Group I showdown against France, following French coach Didier Deschamps' earlier appearance.

The Lions' manager has his full squad available and harbors no inferiority complex against Les Bleus.

"I have my entire group at my disposal, Kalidou Koulibaly entered during the last match, our friends served us well. We know we'll have a very good team in front of us, but we're prepared for that. They have world-class players, but we also, we rely more on our squad," Thiaw told the media proudly.

Thiaw, who was present as a player in Senegal's 2002 World Cup squad without entering the match during the victory against France, now wants to replicate that feat with his players. "It's true that in 2002, I was at the World Cup and we beat France with a goal from Papa Bouba Diop. Now, I'm on the other side, and we still want to win because we play all the matches to go for victory. It's a symbolic match, a match that represents a lot, but we'll keep it within football's framework to continue our World Cup journey," he added emotionally.

The match carries deep symbolic weight but Thiaw insists his team will focus on football to continue their World Cup campaign. Senegal now prepares to face France with confidence, full selection options, and memories of their historic 2002 triumph. Thiaw believes his squad's collective strength can compete against France's world-class talent.