Problem is preparation<\/p>\n
A day later, the silence remains.<\/p>\n
Not quite mourning, but more disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incomprehensible,\u201d says former Senegal international footballer Ferdinand Coly. \u201cWhen you control a match with such quality until the 85th minute, you have to finish it. But psychologically, everything changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coly believes the turning point was not Belgium\u2019s resurgence, but the Senegal coaching team\u2019s decisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe substitutions completely changed the midfield. There was no reason to make them. Once Belgium scored, they gained the psychological advantage. Senegal became fragile. They retreated, played with fear, and never recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coly was part of Senegal\u2019s 2002 World Cup squad, the team that famously stunned France in the tournament\u2019s opening match.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s never over\u2026 until the final whistle,\u201d he said, reflecting on Belgium\u2019s dramatic comeback.<\/p>\n
Since retiring, Coly has swapped his football boots for farming. He has also worked with the Senegalese Football Federation, and believes the national team has lost sight of the basics.<\/p>\n
For him, the problem is not talent but preparation.<\/p>\n
He criticises what he sees as an over-reliance on data, statistics, and performance apps, instead of building a coherent team identity and developing a clear tactical strategy.<\/p>\n
As Belgium searched for an equaliser, their coach was still scribbling notes on a sheet of paper, adjusting and reacting until the very last minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a contrast!\u201d Coly said. \u201cWe\u2019re relying on technology when football is still about reading the game, adapting and thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/reuters_6a46d675-1783027317.jpg\")
Senegal\u2019s Pathe Ciss looks dejected after the match as the team are eliminated from the World Cup [Lee Smith \/Reuters]Same old struggle<\/p>\n
Coly\u2019s analysis echoes that of supporters still trying to process a defeat that slipped away in the closing minutes.<\/p>\n
Ibrahima Diop is a die-hard fan of the Lions of Teranga. He travelled to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was even jailed in Morocco after trouble during the Africa Cup of Nations Final earlier this year.<\/p>\n
In that controversial final \u2013 played against the hosts, Morocco \u2013 Senegal\u2019s coach controversially called his players off the pitch after a disputed penalty decision. Senegal went on to win the match, but later lost the title over the incident.<\/p>\n
For Diop, the lesson was the same as against Belgium.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt comes down to concentration,\u201d he says. \u201cFor 85 minutes the team was organised and united. Then it disappeared. European teams are prepared psychologically to fight until the very end. We still struggle in those final minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diop also believes Senegal were missing something impossible to measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team played without its supporters. Visa restrictions and the economic crisis meant many fans could not travel. The players know what that atmosphere gives them. Mentally, it made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Senegal](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/afp_6a46d6e7aabb-1783027431.jpg\")
Senegal supporters watch as their national football team snatches defeat from the jaws of victory in the World Cup round-of-32 game against Belgium [AFP]Cruel for country<\/p>\n