By Bhargav Acharya
TORONTO, June 25 (Reuters) - Senegal will approach their game against Iraq on Friday like a final to get the win, coach Pape Bouna Thiaw said, as the West African side try to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
Tipped initially as one of the strong contenders at the World Cup, Senegal have had a lacklustre start to the tournament with losses to France and Norway, leaving them with zero points in Group I.
"The team is hungry for more. It is important for the nation," Thiaw told reporters
a day before the game in Toronto Stadium.
"We're actually playing a sort of a final tomorrow with Senegal and Iraq, because... if you want to stay in the competition, we need to win this game," he added.
Even a win against Iraq may not be enough for Senegal to seal a spot in the knockouts. The team will have to wait until the end of all group stage fixtures to see if they advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams across the 12 groups.
Defender Ismail Jakobs is aware Senegal's fate is not in their hands but the team will put up a fight, he said.
"Everyone wants to continue playing the World Cup, and we're going to do our job tomorrow," the 26-year-old said.
Thiaw is hoping Senegalese fans will be out in force to support the team.
"The team needs the fans to secure the qualification," he said.
"I know we were supposed to be one of the top contenders, but now we need to wake up," Thiaw said. "There is no room for mistakes anymore."
Senegal will be without their first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for the fixture, after he suffered an injury against Norway.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge)
