After Senegal was eliminated by Belgium in the FIFA World Cup, coach Thiaw attended the post-match press conference.

Coach, tell us your thoughts on the match you just lost to Belgium.

We lost a very important match. We really wanted to advance and meet the expectations of the Senegalese people. Unfortunately, we were eliminated. I feel very sad, as do the players, because they gave their all to secure qualification, but it didn't happen.

Senegal controlled the game for the first 86 minutes. How do you explain the team's sudden collapse in just 5 minutes at this level of competition?

We were indeed in control. We led 2-0, and as the match went on, we tightened our formation to protect the lead. After they scored to make it 2-1, we dropped deeper, and they scored again. It was very difficult.

We tried to re-energize the players, but unfortunately it didn't work. This team gave everything. The players desperately wanted to qualify for Senegal, and so did we all, but it didn't happen.

What are your thoughts on the final penalty? Do you disagree with the referee and VAR's decision?

I prefer not to interpret that decision. Penalties can be understood different ways. The referee made their call, and others might see it differently, but I don't want to comment on or second-guess the referee's decision.

We noticed substitute players underperformed compared to those they replaced—could this be a tactical error? Also, regarding VAR: during Belgium's second goal, a Belgian player pushed a Senegalese defender who fell. VAR didn't intervene. Did VAR have a decisive impact on the result?

Regarding substitutions, some were requested by the players themselves—they were exhausted and couldn't continue. It would have been irresponsible to keep them on the pitch. The changes were positional and necessary. Of course, after losing 2-0 from ahead, people focus on substitutions. But these were driven by physical fatigue, not tactics.

As for the decision on that goal, as I mentioned, there are different interpretations in such situations. I don't want to comment extensively on the referee's decision.

Losing this way must be even more painful. As head coach, how do you face this situation, given the discussion it's already generating?

Yes, losing like this is difficult to accept, especially when we controlled the match. But the game slipped away from us. Football can be cruel. We must accept this result, though it's hard, and move forward. It's not easy for me or the players—we wanted to take Senegal to the Round of 16, but we didn't succeed. Now we can only look ahead.

Do you think the better team was eliminated today? Did Rudi Garcia offer you any supportive words?

Yes, this loss was cruel because we played well. We led 2-0 against Belgium, but a match isn't decided in 80 or 85 minutes. They equalized, and we didn't respond well afterwards. We had chances to continue threatening them. We must congratulate Belgium on their qualification and continue working hard.

Rudi Garcia suggested that African teams tend to lose their tactical structure when ahead 2-0. Do you agree? How will the team move forward?

That's his opinion, but it doesn't reflect mine. We were playing well and our formation was solid. The winning side always finds it easier to offer such commentary. We must accept this result and review the match to identify where we fell short. Though the tournament is over for us, we must look forward, analyze carefully, identify problems, and work toward improvement.

When the penalty was awarded, some players were clearly unhappy and lingered around the spot. What's your view? Is there any similarity to what happened in January's final?

When the referee awarded the penalty, we reviewed the action. From our perspective, we didn't think it was a penalty. The players protested, which was their right. Ultimately, they respected the referee's decision and the penalty was taken. This penalty led to our elimination. I don't want to comment further on this.

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