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Pape Thiaw faces selection dilemma between Ibrahim Mbaye and Iliman Ndiaye for Senegal vs. Belgium World Cup match
via SeneNews5 min read
As the World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Senegal and Belgium approaches, Lions coach Pape Bouna Thiaw must decide whether to start Ibrahim Mbaye or Iliman Ndiaye. Both players have identical statistics in the tournament, with two goals and two assists each, but their contributions have primarily come in the second half. Ibrahim Mbaye, an 18-year-old winger, started against Iraq but did not have the expected offensive impact, with his opponent Merchas Doski limiting his movement. Mbaye has often been more effective as a substitute, including during the Africa Cup of Nations and the first World Cup match against France. Iliman Ndiaye, who replaced Mbaye against Iraq, immediately made an impact with an assist and a goal, strengthening his case for a starting position. Thiaw's decision will significantly affect the team's offensive strategy alongside Ismaïla Sarr and Sadio Mané. A third option is Assane Diao, who had a convincing performance as a substitute against Iraq. Senegal will face Belgium on Wednesday in the round of 16, aiming to advance to the quarterfinals.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku has commented on the upcoming World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Belgium and Senegal, describing it as a balanced encounter. Lukaku highlighted the overall quality of the Senegalese team, noting their technical, tactical, and physical strengths, and predicted a 50-50 contest. He also addressed the situation of his teammate Amadou Onana, who has personal ties to Senegal, emphasizing that players must remain focused on their sporting objectives for Belgium. Lukaku discussed his own role within the national team, stating his commitment to the collective effort despite debates about his playing status. He dismissed notions of decline in his career and reaffirmed his dedication to the Belgian selection. Furthermore, Lukaku mentioned his long-standing relationship with former Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté, whom he hopes to meet after the match. The highly anticipated game is expected to be an intense duel for a spot in the quarter-finals.
SeneNews will provide live coverage of the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 match between Germany and Paraguay, scheduled for Monday, June 29, 2026, at 8:30 PM Dakar time. The game will take place at Gillette Stadium. Live updates will include the score, goals, substitutions, cards, and key highlights. The article also lists the starting lineups and coaches for both teams. Germany's coach is Julian Nagelsmann, and their starting eleven includes Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rüdiger, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown, Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlović, Leroy Sané, Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz, and Deniz Undav. Paraguay's coach is Gustavo Alfaro, with a starting lineup featuring Orlando Gill, Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, José Canale, Junior Alonso, Miguel Almirón, Damián Bobadilla, Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza, Julio Enciso, and Gabriel Ávalos. Substitutes for both teams are also provided.
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, announced it will soon allow users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers by introducing usernames in an upcoming update. This change means phone numbers will no longer be automatically shared when adding users to group chats or sending a first message to an individual or business. WhatsApp stated this is a "privacy feature," and to contact someone, their username will be required. Due to WhatsApp's large user base of over 3 billion people, many users may not get their first choice of username. The company indicated it would gradually roll out username reservations starting Monday, informing users in each affected country as the feature becomes available, though no specific timeline was provided. Creators, small businesses, and organizations will be able to request to use the same username they have on other Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram.