World Cup 2026: Pape Thiaw rues Senegal’s late collapse after Belgium comeback ends dream

enegal coach Pape Thiaw described his side’s dramatic 3-2 defeat by Belgium as a “cruel” way to leave the World Cup after watching his team surrender a two-goal lead late in the match.

The Teranga Lions looked on course for a place in the next round after Habib Diarra put them ahead by converting the rebound after Ismaila Sarr’s header struck the post.

Sarr then doubled Senegal’s advantage, scoring his fourth goal of the tournament to draw level with Roger Milla’s record for the most goals scored by an African player at a single men’s World Cup.

However, Belgium mounted a remarkable late comeback, scoring three times to snatch victory and bring Senegal’s campaign to a heartbreaking end.

“We had the game in hand, we were leading 2-0 and we sat back a bit towards the end I think because we wanted to protect the lead,” Thiaw said after the match.

“Once we conceded for 2-1, we dropped even deeper and they got their second goal. It wasn’t easy, we tried to get back on our feet, but it unfortunately didn’t work out.”

The closing stages were also overshadowed by a controversial penalty decision that helped Belgium back into the contest.

While Thiaw stopped short of openly criticising the officials, he made it clear he disagreed with the award.

“When we looked at it, our interpretation was that there was no penalty,” he said.

“The players tried to contest it. It’s their right, but they respected the referee’s decision.”

The incident revived memories of Senegal’s protest after a late penalty decision in the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco earlier this year, although there was no repeat of that reaction on this occasion.

Despite the disappointment, Thiaw accepted that his players had to come to terms with a painful defeat after seeing victory slip from their grasp.

“It’s not easy to lose this kind of match,” he added.

“Unfortunately it slipped away from us, but it’s football, it’s cruel, it’s not easy at all, but you have to accept, even if it’s difficult.”

The defeat ends Senegal’s World Cup campaign in dramatic fashion, with the African side left to reflect on a missed opportunity after holding what appeared to be a commanding lead against Belgium.