Eliminated by Belgium, Senegal demands answers from Pape Thiaw

Senegal was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by Belgium (3-2 after extra time) in the Round of 16, and Dakar’s daily press wasted no time in launching a severe indictment against coach Pape Thiaw. Between national mourning and tactical trial, Thursday morning front pages oscillate between sadness and anger.

The sports daily Stades opens with an image of Sadio Mané prostrate on the pitch, eyes vacant, under the headline “Tragic end of the ball”. The newspaper judges that “faced with a Belgium of glacial realism, the Lions lacked bite”, and believes that “the 2022 African Champions have fallen, their weapons rusted”. Record extends the assessment by pointing to the lack of offensive animation and the inability to shake the Red Devils’ block: Senegal would have “remained in the middle of the ford, too timid for a meeting of such magnitude”.

It is L’Observateur, however, that formulates the most direct accusation against Pape Thiaw, devoting a major investigation to what it calls a “Tactical failure”. The newspaper dissects the late substitutions and the lack of boldness from the coaching staff: “Pape Thiaw calculated too much, and football punishes the cautious. The system in place showed its limits against European tactical rigor.” Le Quotidien goes even further with the headline “Lions without compass” and openly raises the question of the coach’s future, believing that “a cycle ends in tears and it is high time to inject fresh blood at the head of the den”.

Parallel to the sporting debate, an off-field controversy is inflaming Senegalese social media. An Instagram story from Moroccan international Mohamed Chibi — in which he allegedly said “Go over there and cry” to Senegalese supporters — sparked strong indignation. Vox Populi devotes a box to it titled “The deadly tackle of a Lion of the Atlas”, denouncing “a marked lack of respect toward the Senegalese people”. Walf Quotidien for its part denounces a “misplaced superiority complex” and anticipates electric reunions at the next Africa Cup of Nations.