Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has attributed his side’s 3-1 defeat to France in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to lapses in concentration at crucial moments.
The Lions of Teranga suffered defeat in their Group I clash at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on Tuesday, despite a promising first-half display.
France secured victory through a brace from Kylian Mbappe and a goal from Bradley Barcola, while Ibrahim Mbaye scored Senegal’s lone goal.
Speaking after the match, Mendy expressed disappointment that Senegal failed to capitalise on their early chances before France found their rhythm.
“We were a bit sluggish in the first half,” the 34-year-old goalkeeper told beIN Sports.
“We knew that in the second half we had to raise our level and be more clinical in attack. Against teams like these, you have to be at your best defensively and offensively.
“You cannot take your eye off the ball because you are up against pure talent,” he added.
The former Chelsea goalkeeper, who won the UEFA Champions League in 2021, insisted the result did not reflect a significant gap in quality between the two sides.
“We know our qualities and that we are capable of playing better,” Mendy said.
“We were especially careless in retaining possession and should have been more consistent, but we were also facing a very good team.”
Despite the setback, Mendy remains optimistic about Senegal’s chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations champions lost their opening group game at the 2022 World Cup before recovering to reach the round of 16, and Mendy believes the team can replicate that feat.
“Even if we had won this match, the group would still be open,” he said.
“Today we lost, but just as in 2022, we must recover and focus on Norway.”
Senegal will face Norway in their next Group I fixture on Monday before taking on Iraq four days later.
