For the first time, Pape Thiaw experimented with a three-defender system, starting Mamadou Mbaye alongside the Koulibaly-Abdoulaye Seck pairing. The result was convincing: against Kenya in Turkey, Senegal cruised to an 8-0 victory in a friendly, never looking troubled, securing a historic win and breaking a record previously held against Mauritius.
In the post-match press conference, the Lions’ coach elaborated on this tactical innovation: “You can’t go into a competition with just one system. Because sometimes, depending on the context of the matches, it can change. Besides, when you have very committed and intelligent players… you only have to work on it once,” said Pape Thiaw.
He also praised his players for following his instructions: “Sure, some will say it was against the opposition, but when you look at the lines, between the lines, how well they were positioned to win back possession, how we were laid out… I think they followed the instructions,” he added.
wiwsport.com
