Following Senegal's friendly victory against Gambia at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, the Lions' coach, Pape Thiaw, praised his players' performance while also highlighting the quality of their opponents. From the outset, the Senegalese coach commended his team for their commitment: "I congratulate my players for their hard work. We wanted to win both of these matches."

They were focused, even though it was difficult.

Facing a tenacious Gambian team, the Lions had to demonstrate patience and composure. "It was a tough match. Gambia made things difficult for us. But with our calm and determination, we scored before halftime," he explained. The coach also acknowledged his team's struggles, particularly in the physical battles: "We suffered because they are strong in duels. We needed these kinds of matches."

Promising tactical tests ahead of upcoming challenges

Beyond the final score, Pape Thiaw is particularly focused on the tactical lessons learned from this friendly match. Several systems were tested during the 90 minutes: “Some things worked. That’s the reason for these friendly matches. We tried three systems, ending with two strikers, Bamba Dieng and Habib Diallo behind him. Initially, we were playing a 3-4-3.” This tactical variety allows the staff to better prepare for future competitions, even if the coach admits there are still adjustments to be made: “There were some good things and some not so good.”

Pape Thiaw's strong tribute to Gambian football

Finally, the Senegalese coach made a point of paying tribute to their opponents that evening. "We thank our Gambian neighbors. It was a very nice initiative to play against them, right after their victory in Morocco," he declared. Impressed by the level of play displayed by the Scorpions, he didn't hesitate to praise them for the rest of the tournament: "I believe Gambia will pose a lot of problems for their future opponents. They are maintaining their momentum, and I congratulate the Federation and their coach."