Senegal’s exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has triggered an emotional fallout within the team, with midfielder Pape Gueye announcing he will no longer represent the Lions of Teranga while the current coaching staff remains in charge.
The shock declaration came in the aftermath of Senegal’s heartbreaking Round of 32 defeat to Belgium, a match in which the African champions squandered a 2-0 lead before losing 3-2 after extra time.
Speaking after the match, Gueye stopped short of explaining the reasons behind the team’s elimination but made his position on the coaching setup unmistakably clear.
I will come back later to talk about the reasons for the elimination. But today I am announcing that as long as this coaching staff remains in place, I will stop playing for the national team.”
His statement marks the first major public fallout following Senegal’s World Cup exit and raises fresh questions about the future of head coach Pape Thiaw and his technical team.
Defender Moussa Niakhaté reflected on the emotional toll the defeat had taken on the squad, particularly midfielder Lamine Camara, who was visibly devastated after the final whistle.
I didn’t like seeing Lamine Camara in that difficult and painful state that you all saw. We were brothers five months ago when we won the Africa Cup of Nations, and we celebrated that together, and today we are all losing together.”
Defender, Krépin Diatta admitted the team failed to show the resilience required to close out the match after taking control.
We shouldn’t have lost that match at that moment. The team lacked character. In the final minutes, we had to give everything; even if it meant putting our foot in everywhere to win the duels, we had to do it. There are things that need to be reviewed. We failed. There is no excuse. The people deserve better.”
His remarks echoed the frustration of supporters who watched Senegal concede twice late in normal time before Belgium completed an extraordinary comeback in extra time.
Head coach Pape Thiaw acknowledged that his side became too defensive after establishing a two-goal advantage, admitting that the tactical shift ultimately proved costly.
We had the match in hand, we were winning 2-0, and then we backed off a little bit towards the end; we wanted to hold onto the score. Once we conceded the 2-1, we retreated even more and they scored their second goal.”
It wasn’t easy; we tried to lift their spirits and bring more energy to the team. It’s not easy because they gave it their all; we wanted to qualify for the people.”