Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has claimed the Lions of Teranga are ready to face any team in the world as they prepare for their 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage fixture against France at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday.
The Group I fixture will be a repeat of the 2002 edition in South Korea, when the two sides were drawn to face each other in the group-stage opener. During the fixture, Senegal shocked the defending champions, France, with a famous 1-0 victory.
The Lions of Teranga will be returning to the global stage for the fourth time having qualified (2002, 2018, 2022, and 2026). Their best performance occurred during their tournament debut in 2002, when they reached the quarter-finals.
Over their World Cup history, the West Africans hold an overall record of five wins, three draws, and four defeats across 12 matches. During the 2002 campaign, Senegal followed France’s victory with draws against Denmark and Uruguay to advance to the knockout rounds.
They defeated Sweden 2-1 in the Round of 16 via a golden goal before falling to Turkey 1-0 in the quarter-finals. Senegal will face France again seeking to repeat their performance from 2002.
“We’re playing against France, but the competition isn’t just about France. There will be other difficult matches, notably against Norway and Iraq. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Senegal beats France,” Thiaw told reporters ahead of the fixture.
“We have world-class players and we’re the African champions. We’ve qualified for the World Cup three times in a row and we’ve been finalists three times in the last four AFCON tournaments. We have our status.
“We can face any team. Humbly, we’re very ambitious but not arrogant. We can beat any team, but we can also lose to any team if we don’t do things right. We’re ready to start this competition well, which is always a good thing.”
Thiaw added: “The Senegal team at the AFCON is a little different from the one we played in the two preparation matches.
Apart from France, Senegal will also face Norway on June 22nd at New York New Jersey Stadium before winding up their group stage matches against Iraq at Toronto Stadium on June 26th.
