Senegal Coach Pape Thiaw Focuses on World Cup Opener

Pape Thiaw, the current coach of Senegal, expressed that the controversies surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations final in January are firmly in the past as the team prepares for their World Cup opener against France. The match is scheduled for Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, almost five months after Senegal's victory over Morocco in the AFCON final, where they won 1-0 after extra time.

Senegal's team had protested a late penalty awarded to Morocco during that match, which was saved by their goalkeeper, and they later scored the winning goal. However, the Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of the title two months later due to the protest.

Thiaw, who was an unused substitute during Senegal's 2002 World Cup victory over France, aims for a repeat performance. Senegal, led by Sadio Mane, who returns to the World Cup after missing the 2022 edition due to injury, is looking to capitalize on their status as African champions.