‘Not making last 16 would be hard to digest’

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said his team are expected to reach the World Cup knockout stages due to their status as African champions but his players are adapting to the pressure well.

Having reached the quarterfinals on their World Cup debut in 2002, Senegal were eliminated in the group stage on fair play points four years ago in Russia.

Senegal need to beat Ecuador in their final Group A game on Tuesday to qualify for the last 16. They could still remain in contention with a draw, provided hosts Qatar beat three-times finalists Netherlands.

"I come from a country where we don't like losing," Cisse told reporters on Monday. "We're always hungry for that win. Not going to the round of 16 would be difficult to digest. "We're okay, we're dealing with the pressure and stress. For me, it's good stress."

Meanwhile, Ecuador need a win or draw to qualify, after beating Qatar 2-0 and outplaying the Dutch in a 1-1 draw to go joint top of Group A.