72 minutes is enough. Koulibaly destroys Senegal’s dream, and his teammates expel him.

Kalidou Koulibaly’s dream of leading Senegal to the 2026 World Cup finals turned into a nightmare after the Tiranga Lions captain was instrumental in bringing his country to the brink of an early group stage exit following back-to-back defeats to France (1-3) and Norway (2-3).

Social media was set on fire by the unprecedented, vitriolic attack on the 35-year-old defender, who spoke confidently of his country’s ambitions to reach the finals a few weeks ago before his bold statements were ridiculed after disastrous defensive mistakes.

Why don’t we reach the final?

Before the start of the tournament, Koulibaly made exciting statements, saying in an interview with the French TV channel RMC. “My goal is for Senegal to go as far as possible, why not reach the final?” He confidently added. “For me, Senegal is the best team in the world.”

He stressed at the time that “it’s all about mental strength and self-confidence”, stressing: “We know that we are capable of a great performance at the World Cup. Our expectations are very high. We hope to at least make it to the quarter-finals, this is our first goal.”

From ambition to disaster

But reality was harsh for Koulibaly and his team-mates as Senegal began their campaign with a 3-1 defeat to France despite a great first-half fightback before losing a thrilling 2-3 against Norway after defensive mistakes proved costly in a game that saw Erling Haaland shine.

For the first time in the history of participating in the World Cup, Senegal suffered two consecutive defeats in the group stage, ending up in last place in Group 9 without a point and on the verge of an early exit from the tournament.

Public outrage and violent assault

Senegal’s social media lit up with a furious attack on Koulibaly, who was reduced from national hero to scapegoat for his disastrous defensive errors which directly contributed to both defeats.

Senegalese website SeneNews revealed that replacing Koulibaly in the 72nd minute was not a technical decision by coach Pape Thiau, but came after pressure from the team’s leaders on the pitch in one of the most controversial moments.

The website added that the pair, Sadio Mane and Idrissa Jana Gueye, played a key role in the decision after they demanded the Saudi Al Hilal defender be sent off in an attempt to rectify the situation against Norway.

Senegalese fans scoffed at Koulibaly’s previous declarations of a place in the finals, when the team was in danger of a first-round exit if they did not beat Iraq in the final round, and they were hoping for other results that would see them as one of the top eight teams to finish third in their group.

The ultimate rescue scenario

Senegal face Iraq in a crucial game where they will need to win by a wide margin and rely on the results of the other groups to secure a qualification card as one of the best third-placed teams in a complex scenario that looks far-fetched.

The biggest question remains. Will Koulibaly be able to correct his course and save his country’s dream, or will his bold statements be the witness to the biggest disappointment in the history of the Lions of Teranga?