Norway’s coach, Ståle Solbakken, is approaching the match against Senegal, the second game of Group I, with confidence after a strong start to the competition.
He nevertheless emphasizes the quality and speed of the Lions, whom he considers a formidable opponent.
“I’m not afraid of anything tomorrow, but I have great respect for Senegal. They are a fast and high-quality team, and we will have to be ready to face them, defend their wingers, and be wary of their counter-attacks,” Ståle Solbakken said at a press conference.
The Norwegian coach emphasized the Lions’ attacking qualities, as well as the need to remain vigilant on the flanks, particularly against the Al Nassr striker and Senegal’s all-time leading scorer.
“Sadio Mané is a great player, but the most important thing for me is that we maintain our identity and continue to play what we do best,” he added.
Buoyed by a successful start to the tournament against Iraq (4-1), Norway approaches this second match with confidence but without overthinking it. The coach refuses to look ahead to qualification.
“We’re not doing any calculations right now; we just need to put in another good performance, continue to improve, and think about qualification later,” he added.
He concluded: I know we’re facing a very, very strong and enjoyable team to play against. But they also have excellent individual players who can cause us problems, and we need to adapt and be ready to meet the challenges they throw at us.
“The most important thing for me is that we maintain our identity. Of course, we analyze our opponents and look for ways to unsettle them. The key is that we preserve our identity, both with and without the ball.”
