Senegal remove Pape Thiaw after World Cup exit
Pape Thiaw is out after 19 months as Senegal coach following a World Cup campaign that fell short of expectations, Reuters reported.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Senegal dismissed head coach Pape Thiaw on Saturday after a World Cup campaign that did not meet the country’s ambitions, Reuters reported. The decision ends Thiaw’s 19-month spell in charge and comes months after he led Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations title.
According to Reuters, Senegal said the team’s World Cup results required a change in leadership. The side had entered the tournament with hopes of contending after beating Morocco in January’s Africa Cup of Nations final.
Senegal’s tournament started poorly, with defeats in their first two group matches against France and Norway, Reuters reported. They later reached the last 32, where they built a 2-0 lead over Belgium before losing 3-2 after extra time.
The Belgium match sharpened scrutiny of the campaign. Reuters reported that Senegal were two goals ahead with five minutes left, then conceded and were eliminated in extra time.
Ban was due to start in September
Thiaw, 45, was also set to serve a five-match suspension beginning in September, Reuters reported. The ban was tied to his role in leading Senegal’s players off the field in protest over a penalty awarded to Morocco in the 2025 final in Rabat.
That suspension was due to coincide with the start of the 2027 Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, according to Reuters. Senegal’s coaching change therefore comes before the team begins its next continental qualification program.
Reuters reported that Thiaw’s exit followed a sharp turn in fortunes for a coach who had recently delivered a continental trophy. Senegal’s win over Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final had raised expectations before the World Cup, but the team’s results there prompted the change.
Vieira linked with vacancy
French daily L’Equipe reported that Patrick Vieira is among the favourites to replace Thiaw, according to Reuters. Vieira, a French World Cup winner, was born in Dakar.
Senegal have not announced a successor in the information reported by Reuters. The next appointment will inherit a team coming off a World Cup exit and preparing for Cup of Nations qualifiers later this year.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.