Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has clarified comments he made after his side’s dramatic FIFA World Cup victory over Senegal, insisting they were not intended as criticism of African football.

Belgium produced one of the tournament’s most remarkable comebacks on Wednesday, recovering from a 2-0 deficit in the closing minutes to defeat Senegal 3-2 after extra time in their Round of 32 clash. Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scored late to force extra time before Tielemans converted a penalty in the 125th minute to complete the turnaround.

Speaking in a post-match television interview, Garcia said: “We know those teams, they lose their tactical structure toward the end of the match.” He also added that Senegal made “a grave mistake” by dropping deep to defend their two-goal advantage instead of continuing to play their natural game.

The remarks quickly drew criticism on social media, with some interpreting them as a broad comment on African football rather than an assessment of the match itself.

On Thursday, Garcia issued a statement on Instagram to explain the context behind his comments.

“When I spoke of ‘those teams,’ I was referring to teams unaccustomed to managing a lead in high-level World Cup matches,” Garcia wrote. “My comments were by no means aimed at African teams. They could just as easily have applied to Asian, South American or European teams unfamiliar with that kind of pressure.”

The 62-year-old Frenchman also acknowledged that he had learned similar lessons during his own coaching career, saying that attempting to protect a lead by retreating too deeply can often prove counterproductive.

Statistics provider Opta responded to Garcia’s clarification by highlighting that he himself experienced similar collapses during his time in French football, noting that his teams lost three Ligue 1 matches after leading 2-0.

Belgium will now turn their attention to a Round of 16 clash against the United States in Seattle as Garcia’s side looks to build on its dramatic escape against Senegal.