The Lions of Teranga will continue their hard work to ensure they are fully prepared for their first match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on June 16, assured Senegal's coach, Pape Thiaw. He emphasized that a "very demanding" week of preparation awaits the national team after their friendly defeat against the United States on Sunday. The team will "continue its preparations" to be ready for June 16. "We still have several days ahead, and a very demanding and busy week awaits us," he said at a press conference.

The Senegalese national team lost to the United States by a score of 3 goals to 2 on Sunday in Charlotte, during a friendly match in preparation for the next World Cup which starts on June 11.

“The United States managed to make things difficult for us. We really struggled with their attacking phases. We have to congratulate them. They deserved their victory considering how the match unfolded. They were a good American team,” commented Pape Thiaw. The Lions' coach believes his players didn't manage to win “many duels” during this encounter. “We're a team that likes to have the ball, but we weren't able to do that in this match, which put us in difficulty,” he analyzed.

Things improved after Senegal's equalizer, but then "we conceded another goal. It wasn't easy. The United States is a very strong team athletically and physically. They pressed us well. We have to admit that their game plan worked better than ours," continued Pape Thiaw.

After this match, the Lions will travel to San Antonio, Texas, where they will face Saudi Arabia in a final friendly match on June 9 at 11:00 PM GMT. The reigning African champions will then head to their training camp in New Jersey, in the northern United States, on June 11. The Lions are in the same group as France, Norway, and Iraq.

Senegal begins the competition by facing France on June 16 at New York Stadium, before taking on Norway on June 23 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Pape Thiaw's team will conclude the group stage by playing Iraq on June 26 at Toronto Stadium. The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.