Sölbakken says Norway fear no Senegal challenge

Norway head coach Ståle Sölbakken said his side have no fear ahead of Tuesday's World Cup 2026 Group stage meeting with Senegal, but stressed they will need to handle the Africans' pace and counter-attacks.

Norway face Senegal in their second group match and are aiming to build on the performance they produced in their opening game. Sölbakken said he has respect for Senegal, describing them as a fast and high-quality team, and singled out the need to contain their wingers.

He also pointed to Sadio Mané as a major threat, while insisting Norway must stick to their own identity rather than focus on calculations around qualification. "We are not doing the maths," he said. "We have to produce another good display, improve, and think about progress at the right time."

Erling Haaland, who scored twice in Norway's first match, will again carry much of the attacking threat. Sölbakken said the Manchester City striker is in strong form and will need support from the rest of the team to keep delivering goals.

The coach also raised concerns about the pitch, describing it as short, hard underneath and similar to artificial turf, though he said expected rain could help.】