The defeat of Senegal against France (3-1) on Tuesday night, in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, continues to spark numerous reactions in the French media. Among the most critical observers is journalist Daniel Riolo, who did not hide his disappointment with the performance of the Lions of Teranga. True to his direct and uncompromising style, the RMC Sport editorialist harshly judged the display from Pape Thiaw’s men, believing that the Senegalese team lacked ambition, coherence, and impact at key moments of the match.
Speaking on the After Foot show on RMC, Daniel Riolo delivered a particularly harsh analysis of Senegal’s tactical behavior. According to him, the Lions never really displayed a clear strategy against the Blues. The journalist questioned the team’s intentions throughout the match, judging that the players seemed to hesitate between several approaches without ever fully committing to one.
“Senegal’s performance tonight is catastrophic. If I were Senegalese, I wouldn’t be happy at all. Because what was the team’s ambition? What did they actually want to do?” Daniel Riolo questioned during After Foot on RMC.
For the French consultant, this lack of direction significantly limited Senegal’s offensive possibilities.
He believes the Lions gave the impression of waiting for events to unfold rather than trying to create them. In his eyes, the team seemed more focused on preserving the score than on making the French side, which was sometimes under pressure during the match, doubt themselves.
Continuing his analysis, Riolo added: “They wanted to win, they wanted to wait, they wanted to wait, they were playing for a 0-0, maybe hoping for a counter-attack… There were players we didn’t see.” This criticism targets both the collective project and the individual performances of several key Senegalese players. The journalist feels that some major elements of the squad failed to influence the match, leaving the team without a true leader capable of turning the game around.
The former African champion also mentioned Sadio Mané, whose influence was deemed limited for much of the match. While acknowledging the talent of the Senegalese captain, Riolo believes he had a greater impact in the final minutes than during the first half. “Poor Sadio Mané, it shows he was much more involved at the end than at the beginning,” he stated, highlighting the difficulties the Senegalese attack faced in creating danger consistently.
🚨 Daniel Riolo 🇫🇷 : « SENEGAL’S PERFORMANCE 🇸🇳 WAS CATASTROPHIC. 🥶
What did they actually want to do? Sadio Mané, it confirms he is much more involved at the end than the beginning.
In midfield, Camara, Gueye, we didn’t see them.
I didn’t understand their project of… pic.twitter.com/Eba5FFiWbs
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) June 17, 2026
Daniel Riolo was also critical of some choices made by Pape Thiaw’s staff. He specifically mentioned the starting position of Kalidou Koulibaly, suggesting that the defender’s form raised questions. “They opted for Koulibaly, but in the end, we saw he is not in shape. The choice is debatable. In midfield, we saw neither Gueye nor Camara…” he remarked. These comments are already fueling debates around the options chosen by the Senegalese coach.
Despite the harshness of these criticisms, Senegal still has every chance in this World Cup. However, the Lions must quickly address the shortcomings observed against France to bounce back in their next outing. A reaction is now expected, both from Senegalese supporters and observers who hope to see a more proactive team that lives up to its potential.
