Senegal’s elimination in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup continues to spark intense debate. After leading 2-0 until the 80th minute, the Lions of Teranga were ultimately overturned by Belgium (3-2), conceding the decisive goal in stoppage time. This cruel scenario immediately triggered a wave of reactions on social media, where many fans pointed fingers at coach Pape Thiaw as the main culprit for this disappointment. His tactical choices and management at the end of the match are at the center of the criticism.
The complaints mainly focus on the substitutions made in the second half. For J A M (@Diam_ba09), “Pape Thiaw went freestyle with the changes,” a remark widely echoed by netizens. DB10 (@SalihouBeye) believes the coach “thinks he’s Pep Guardiola” and finds several of his decisions baffling, especially leaving Sadio Mané on the pitch for the entire match. Many fans feel these choices unbalanced the team just as Belgium ramped up the pressure.
Other observers go further by questioning the tactical abilities of the Senegalese coach. PROPHET (@prophet_mee) believes he is “too limited tactically” and criticizes substitutions he sees as pre-planned without considering the flow of the game. Ass Malick (@Assmaliick) thinks Pape Thiaw is still “fumbling” in his decisions. For several netizens, the management of the match clearly favored the spectacular comeback of the Red Devils in the final minutes.
Amina (@aymina29) specifically points to a player substitution she sees as the turning point of the match, claiming that “90% of the blame” lies with the coach. Alioune Badara G (@AliouneBadaraG) shares this view, mentioning the “glaring deficiencies” of the coach. According to him, leaving Sadio Mané on the field until the end, making certain substitutions, and intervening too late heavily impacted the outcome of the match. These criticisms multiplied as the minutes passed after Belgium equalized and then scored the winning goal.
The frustration is so intense that several fans are already calling for a change at the helm of the national team. Even before the final whistle, Rama (@cmdshftrama) felt that Pape Thiaw’s contract should not be extended, regardless of the result. Abd Allah (@__Laye) also believes the coach should no longer continue his journey with the Lions. These calls reflect the deep sense of disappointment caused by an elimination when Senegal seemed to have the game under control for much of the match.
The most vehement comments didn’t take long to surface. Awah Juuf (@Awah_Juuf) labeled the coach as a “qualitative nullity,” while UNITED REK (@AugusteMendy18) simply stated, “Pape Thiaw is really useless.” CHAMPION D’AFRIQUE (@El_gringo91) believes this defeat is “100% Pape Thiaw’s fault.” Other posts, like one from SaerDo (@YesImProud), express the anger of some fans after a scenario that was particularly hard to accept.
Pape Thiaw has disappointed an entire nation from the very first match.
He betrayed the trust of Senegalese people. He is solely responsible for this disillusion.
He has shown his limits. It’s time to go. pic.twitter.com/Y1tspuNLqi
— ABDOU FALL (@ABDUUUFAAAAL) July 1, 2026
Ameliyah (@Ameliia__meel) still can’t understand how Senegal conceded two goals in just a few minutes after controlling the match for so long. Khadyjoliie (@Khadyjoliie) questions the coach’s decisions, while Le Barça a ruiné ma vie (@parlemoikhaliss) feels that Pape Thiaw hasn’t shown the same level since the Africa Cup of Nations. Chérif Sadio (@CherifSadio) also regrets that the staff didn’t better utilize Habib Diarra’s advances, who was very dangerous in midfield.
Some messages posted during the last minutes still mentioned hope for a penalty in favor of Senegal, hinting at a possible qualification. But these reactions quickly faded in the face of the flood of criticism triggered by Belgium’s comeback. This elimination, after leading by two goals with ten minutes to go, reignites the debate around Pape Thiaw’s choices. On social media, a large portion of fans believes that the tactical management at the end of the match significantly contributed to the premature exit of the Lions of Teranga from the 2026 World Cup.
