Senegal coach Pape Thiaw reserved all the credit for his players after they battled to a 3–0 win over Benin to finish top of Group D at AFCON Morocco 2025.
Down to ten men for the final stages in Tangier, Senegal still found a way to control a demanding game and underline their status as serious title contenders.
Speaking after the match, Thiaw stressed that “the players deserve all the praise for their performance in this difficult match that we played with ten men for some parts of the game.” He highlighted how his side managed to keep their composure against a very determined Benin team while still achieving their main target of securing first place in the group.
Senegal struck through Abdoulaye Seck’s first-half header, Habib Diallo’s neat finish after the break and a late Cherif Ndiaye penalty deep into stoppage time. Even after Kalidou Koulibaly’s red card, goalkeeper Édouard Mendy and his back line stood firm as Benin pushed hard.
Thiaw added that the focus now is on correcting group-stage mistakes before the Round of 16, where he warned there will be “no room for errors.”
