Senegal star Pape Gueye has announced he will boycott the national team as long as the current coaching staff remains in place, following a devastating 3-2 extra-time defeat to Belgium in the World Cup round of 32. The Villarreal midfielder took to Instagram to declare his decision, sparking a furious bust-up with head coach Pape Thiaw.
Gueye's social media announcement
In a message posted to his Instagram story, the 27-year-old said: "I'll be back to give you a few words regarding elimination... but I announce today that as long as it's this technical staff I'll take a break from the selection." Gueye was substituted shortly after the hour mark while Senegal held a two-goal advantage, with Thiaw introducing Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.
Senegal's collapse against Belgium
Senegal appeared destined for the round of 16 after goals from Habiib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr put them 2-0 up. However, Belgium staged a remarkable comeback. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 80th minute, and Youri Tielemans equalized two minutes later from Leandro Trossard's cross. The match went to extra time, where Tielemans converted a 125th-minute penalty after winning the spot-kick himself, completing the 3-2 victory for Rudi Garcia's men.
Thiaw defends substitutions
After the defeat, Thiaw said: "We just lost a match that was really important to us. We wanted to qualify for the Senegalese people, we thought we deserved it, but unfortunately, we are eliminated. I am sad, the players are sad too, because they really wanted this qualification." Thiaw defended his substitutions, explaining that several players asked to be taken off due to fatigue. Everton's Iliman Ndiaye and Sunderland's Habib Diarra were substituted during the second half, while Sadio Mane and Idrissa Gana Gueye were withdrawn in extra time. "They were tired and couldn't continue. Leaving them on the field would have been unprofessional on our part. We had to replace them, like for like. Of course, when you lose a match after leading 2-0, people inevitably talk about the substitutes. But you can't reduce everything to that. These changes were primarily dictated by fatigue, more than by tactical considerations," Thiaw added.
Next round
Belgium will face the USA in the round of 16 after Mauricio Pochettino's team defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0. Florian Balogun scored and was sent off, but Malik Tillman sealed the win eight minutes from time.
