The Lions of Teranga’s campaign ended in a painful fashion following Belgium’s late comeback to beat them 3-2 in extra time at Seattle Stadium in Seattle last Wednesday.
A Youri Tielemans penalty deep into the added minutes of extra time completed an incredible comeback to power Belgium into the last 16 of the tournament, when they had appeared destined for the exit at 2-0 down and with time running out.
Thiaw’s side looked on course for a famous Round of 32 victory after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr gave them a 2-0 lead with only five minutes of normal time remaining.
According to N'Doye, who did not hide his disappointment, Senegal had everything in their hands to win the decisive fixture, until the coach failed to read the game and make the right decisions.
Thiaw 'completely unbalanced his team'
"Before the match, I said that on paper, it would be the most manageable match for Senegal," said N'Doye, who made his debut for Senegal in 2010, in a 2-1 friendly win against Gabon, as quoted by Wiw Sports.
"Why? Because I thought Senegal were superior to Belgium in terms of individual quality. But in a team, players aren't enough.
"You also need a coach capable of reading the game and making the right decisions."
While blaming Thiaw’s substitutions, which included the withdrawal of Sadio Mane, N'Doye continued: "I said it before kickoff: Pape Thiaw was going to have to manage this match well.
"In my opinion, he completely unbalanced his team with his changes. I even wondered what the bench was thinking. What were the assistant coaches doing?
"What’s the point of them if they don’t offer a different perspective? When Senegal were leading 2-0, all they had to do was close down the spaces.
"They could have easily played with two lines of four and two strikers, or strengthened the midfield with an extra player. However, taking off all the midfielders is practically unheard of in top-level football. The team lost all their balance."
Senegal 'allowed Belgium back into the game'
N'Doye added while faulting the substitution of Mane: "I wouldn’t have taken Sadio Mane off. With Ismaila Sarr’s speed and the crosses that were coming in, Senegal had more than enough opportunities to score a third goal.
"Instead, the team allowed Belgium back into the game. What hurts the most is losing a match like that. I wouldn’t say that Pape Thiaw isn’t good enough, but I think he doesn’t try hard enough to create chances."
N'Doye, who spent the better part of his career with Copenhagen, serving two spells at the club and becoming its all-time top scorer in 2018, concluded: "As for the assistant coaches, they shouldn’t just be followers.
"Their role is also to offer a different perspective on the game, to propose solutions, and to contribute to decisions when the team is struggling."
While Belgium will remain in Seattle to play their Round of 16 match on July 6th against hosts USA, Senegal boarded their plane back home after the disastrous exit.
