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When an 18-year-old decides that going backwards is simply not an option, the footballing universe had better sit up and take notice — because something extraordinary is about to unfold! Ibrahim Mbaye's stunning strike for Senegal against France was the kind of goal that stops you mid-breath, the kind that rewinds in your mind for days afterwards, the kind that announces the arrival of a genuine prodigy on the grandest platform imaginable. If Luis Enrique was watching from Paris, the Paris Saint-Germain coach would have savoured the closing 15 minutes of this Group I opener with particular relish. He would have appreciated the composure of Bradley Barcola, one of his PSG stars, for a clinically taken 82nd-minute goal. But the winner of The Best FIFA Men's Coach award would surely have been most electrified when another of his young protégés, Mbaye, unleashed a breathtaking effort to pull Senegal back to 2-1. Though it was insufficient to overhaul Les Bleus, who ultimately prevailed 3-1 courtesy of a majestic Kylian Mbappe masterclass, the significance of that goal for the Lions of Teranga's remaining fixtures cannot be overstated. Senegal had breached the defence of one of the tournament favourites and came agonisingly close to snatching a point — a treasure trove of positives from their opening encounter. "If you look at how the match unfolded, we could easily have been 2-0 up," reflected coach Pape Thiaw. "France were more effective than us after half-time, so congratulations to them. We made mistakes every time they had a chance. It all started with us giving the ball away too easily. So now we need to focus on our other two matches to pick up six points." Mbaye's dazzling solo run was reminiscent of the very greatest — wrong-footing Lucas Hernandez before unleashing an explosive shot that even Mike Maignan could not keep out. "I thought to myself, 'It's 2-0, it's the 90th minute, why go backwards?'" the youngster revealed. "So, naturally, I went for it, I managed to get past the defender, I shot and, with a bit of luck, I scored. Scoring my first goal at the World Cup is obviously a source of immense pride for me, and it's a boost to my confidence and for the team as well." At just 18 years and 143 days, Mbaye became the fourth-youngest goalscorer in World Cup history — a thunderbolt from a new African constellation.
