Pape Thiaw : « On va se battre pour décrocher notre place en demi-finale »
On the eve of the AFCON quarter-final against Mali, Senegal's coach, Pape Thiaw, spoke about the preparation, the context of the derby and the management of his group.
When asked about the pressure and the particular context of this West African derby, Thiaw was keen to put things into perspective: “For me, it’s a football match, not a war. Mali and Senegal are neighboring countries, with family and cultural ties. We remain focused on our game and our team. It’s up to us to do everything we can to secure qualification.”
Pape Thiaw also addressed the management of his 28-man squad: “We have 28 players in the squad, and only five haven't played yet. But each player has their role, whether on the pitch or in support. In this team, there are no substitutes: football simply requires us to field 11 players, but everyone counts. Some are strong in duels, others in attacking phases or in possession. It all depends on the opponent.” The coach emphasizes that this rotation isn't a lack of hierarchy, but a strategy to remain competitive and motivated: “Every player gives their best when they step onto the pitch. It's a pleasure and a luxury to have such a complete squad.”
Finally, Thiaw set a clear objective for this quarter-final: "Tomorrow is the quarter-final and we will fight to secure our place in the semi-final. We will give everything on the pitch, stay focused and keep our emotions in control."
Commentaires (1)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter ou TikTok pour l'afficher automatiquement.