Guy Stéphane: “We have all the data on the Senegal game”

While the French staff multiplies the scouting reports and compiles data on the African Champions, Pape Thiaw’s Senegal is firmly awaiting a reunion which promises to be electric. The duel on June 16 is already underway.

We felt it coming. The Washington draw has awakened old demons on the side of the French Football Federation (FFF). For their entry into this World Cup, the Blues inherit their nightmare from 2002: Senegal. Twenty-four years after the Pape Bouba Diop earthquake in Seoul, France has still not digested. And it is not the recent coronation of the Lions at the CAN which will reassure Didier Deschamps and his staff.

Hiding behind their screens or sending emissaries like Jean-Luc Vannuchi (French under-19 coach) into Moroccan stadiums, French technicians are trying to unravel the mystery of the Lions. “We have all the data on their game, the racing speeds, the areas covered,” boasts Guy Stéphan, this Wednesday at the Vélodrome during the Marseille against Liverpool match. But will the statistics be enough to stop the surge of the Lions attack?

If the Blues rely on technology and video reports, Senegal relies on one certainty: its collective strength and a reservoir of talent that frightens all opponents. Pape Thiaw proved during the CAN his tactical mastery and his ability to adapt. He literally transformed the Lair into an impregnable fortress. In this CAN, it’s seven matches, 13 goals scored against 2 conceded.

Senegal ready to do it again

For the French, the objective is to win and ensure they come out first in the group. For Sadio Mané and his teammates, this match on June 16, 2026 is a world derby, another opportunity to confirm that Senegal is not a small football nation.

During this scouting period, the French staff said they noted the density and mental virtues of the Lions. They are right to be wary, because Senegal does not only intend to play extras.
The match is already on. Since the Lions’ coronation last Sunday in Rabat, the French media have already been planning on this long-awaited match which will be held in the United States. However, the data does not score goals and, on June 16, the fervor of the Senegalese people will carry the valiant warriors of Pape Thiaw to a new resounding feat.

Djibril DIAO