Friday, May 31, 2002
Lemerre: We need two wins now
France coach Roger Lemerre praised Senegal's defence and organisation after the World Cup holders suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to the African debutants.
Senegal's players dance with joy after Pape Bouba Diop's goal
(Reuters)
But he said France need to win their two remaining Group A games - against Uruguay and Denmark - to reach the knock-out stages.
And he accepted his side had not made the most of their chances, unlike Senegal, who clinched their surprise win with a first-half strike from Pape Bouba Diop.
'They were well-organised with a five-man midfield. When a team are well-grouped together, you need speed and spontaneity,' said Lemerre.
'We were not able to cut through their defensive net. They had one counter-attack and they scored. That's football but we would have liked a happier start.
'In this kind of match, when a team know what they have to do, it's hard. They did not miss the target.
'It's hard on us but it's up to us to deal better with that type of situation.
'Nothing is ruined, there are two more games to play. If by chance we won those two matches, we'd be in the round of 16.'
