World Cup 2026: "I made a lot of mistakes" – Kalidou Koulibaly

22.06.26 FT World Cup

Norway

3

:

Senegal

2

The 3-2 defeat to Norway left a bitter taste for Senegalese fans, who are now crunching the numbers and hoping their side can still qualify for the Round of 16 at the World Cup. Senegal trailed 1-0 at halftime and then 3-1 after an hour of play, and despite a brace from Ismaïla Sarr, the response came far too late. After the match, Kalidou did not shy away from responsibility, despite being involved in almost all three goals conceded.

I made a lot of mistakes and that's really unfortunate. Losing a match like this hurts, especially at the World Cup. The level here is incredibly high. There's no room for error. Today, we did everything we could to win.

The "Lions of Teranga" captain looked exhausted, raising questions about his physical condition and early substitution. Here too, the Al Hilal player addressed the situation with realism.

No one is guaranteed a place. Everyone is here to serve the team. If the coach decides to sub me off, that's his right—he saw that I wasn't helping the team. Physically, I feel better each day. Today, things just didn't go as I hoped.

Senegal remain on zero points and have conceded six goals in two matches. The "Lions" will need to regain their composure against Iraq on June 26 if they want to stay in contention for the best third-place finish.

Nafongo TRAORE |

News Editorfr, ar, en

Nafongon Moussa TRAORE, Burkinabè de 25 ans, est passionné de football, est rédacteur pour Foot Africa et commentateur pour BurkiFoot.

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