Senegal’s football authorities have pulled the trigger on head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, ending his spell in charge just months after he guided the Teranga Lions to World Cup qualification.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) confirmed the move in a statement released on Sunday, a day after its Executive Committee met to review the team’s tournament showing. Thiaw’s entire backroom staff has also been shown the door as part of the decision.
According to the federation, the call followed a close look at how the squad performed on the pitch and what lies ahead for the program. Officials said stepping away from Thiaw was the right move “in the best interests of Senegalese football,” pointing to the team’s results as the deciding factor.
Senegal had travelled to the World Cup with genuine belief they could go deep into the tournament, having lifted the Africa Cup of Nations crown back in January. Instead, the campaign unraveled in painful fashion: after stumbling through the group stage, the Lions squeezed into the knockout rounds only to blow a two-goal cushion late against Belgium, eventually bowing out in extra time in the Round of 32.
That collapse proved the final straw for a federation already facing pressure from frustrated fans and, reportedly, some unhappy voices inside the squad itself.
Beyond parting ways with the coaching staff, the FSF signaled this is not a one-off fix. The Executive Committee has instructed federation president Abdoulaye Fall to push through a broader shake-up covering all of the country’s national teams, not just the senior men’s side.
Fall is due to face reporters on Monday at Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium, where he’s expected to lay out the federation’s reasoning in more detail and outline what comes next for Senegalese football.
Attention has already turned to who takes over. Former France international and coach Patrick Vieira has emerged as an early frontrunner to take the reins, though the federation has yet to confirm any appointment.
For now, Senegalese football finds itself in a familiar but uncomfortable position: rebuilding after a tournament that promised much and delivered heartbreak instead. How quickly the federation moves to name a successor — and whether it can restore confidence among players and supporters alike — will shape the road toward the next Africa Cup of Nations and beyond.
