Sénégal / France : Kalidou Koulibaly calme le jeu
On June 16th, Senegal will face France in a highly anticipated Group I clash. Twenty-four years after El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf's team's historic victory against France in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, Kalidou Koulibaly doesn't want to let that legacy weigh on the Lions of Teranga. Just days before the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Les Bleus, the Senegalese captain prefers to focus on the challenges of the present.
While the Al-Hilal defender acknowledges the importance of this match against one of the tournament's main favorites, he believes that Senegal's ambitions extend far beyond this single game.
"We will do everything to win this match, but we have to forget what happened in 2002. It's 2026," the 34-year-old told RMC.
Aware of the media and sporting importance of this opening match, Koulibaly nevertheless insists on the need to maintain a broader view of the competition.
“We know it will be a very important match against France. We always want to start a competition well and that means a win. It will be a match against one of the best teams in the world and it will be followed everywhere. But we mustn’t reduce this World Cup to this match against France,” he added.
The Lions' captain is therefore calling on his teammates to remain focused throughout the entire tournament. For him, Senegal should not only aim to repeat their 2002 success, but also to achieve an ambitious run in this World Cup being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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