Aliou Cissé: World Cup Exit is Painful, That's Football

Aliou Cissé, the head coach of Senegal, expressed his sadness after his team's 3-2 defeat against Belgium, resulting in their exit from the 2026 World Cup. He emphasized that his team failed to maintain their lead despite being two goals ahead.

Cissé stated: "We have been eliminated from the tournament, and it is painful. We must congratulate the team; the players gave their all, but unfortunately, we couldn't hold on to our two-goal lead."

The Senegalese coach added: "We congratulate the Belgian national team on their qualification; we have to accept it, that's football."

Senegal lost the match 3-2, exiting the World Cup in the Round of 32 after squandering their lead during the game.