Two defeats, two goals scored and six conceded is the state of play for Senegal heading into their final Group I match against Iraq. Pape Thiaw has already described the response he wants as a "tactical revolt", and Senegal need a win, probably by a fair margin, to keep their World Cup hopes alive as one of the best third-placed sides.

Thiaw's response to Senegal's start

Thiaw has been clear about the scale of the reset. "We are now going to review the match, draw all the necessary lessons from it and correct our mistakes to make sure we do not repeat them," he said, before adding: "Everything can still be decided on the final matchday. We need to play this match at full intensity."

That is not just manager talk for the sake of it. Senegal have played two and lost two, and the defensive record is hard to ignore when the group picture is this tight. They have conceded six goals and scored only two, so a narrow win may not be enough on its own.

Iraq have also conceded seven in two matches, which gives Senegal a clear route if Thiaw does go more aggressively at the game. The space is there to attack, but Senegal's own shape has to look sharper than it has so far.

Senior players and unused options

The pressure is not just on the game plan. Kalidou Koulibaly was involved in all three of Norway's goals in the 3-2 defeat, while Edouard Mendy is out for Friday with a knee injury. Ismaïla Sarr has been the clearest attacking bright spot, with two goals in two appearances and a 7.25 season rating, but Senegal have not had enough of that from the rest of the senior core.

That is why the bench has become part of the argument. Nicolas Jackson, Zidane Iqbal, Ali Al-Hamadi, A. Hussein and A. Sadio are all names Thiaw can lean on if he wants more pace and more direct running. Senegal's problem is not a shortage of options on paper, it is finding the right balance after a flat start.

The next step is simple enough. Senegal face Iraq with their tournament in a difficult place, and Thiaw has already told his squad the answer has to come from a very different performance at full intensity.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →