Senegal have dismissed head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw following the team’s disappointing FIFA World Cup campaign, with the country’s football federation saying th...
Senegal have dismissed head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw following the team’s disappointing FIFA World Cup campaign, with the country’s football federation saying the tournament results made a change in leadership necessary.
Thiaw, 45, leaves the position after Senegal failed to meet expectations at the World Cup. The team had entered the tournament as one of Africa’s strongest sides after defeating Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final in January.
Senegal’s World Cup campaign began with back-to-back defeats in the group stage. The team lost its opening match against France before suffering another defeat to Norway, leaving its hopes of progressing under pressure.
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In the last 32, Senegal appeared to be on course for victory after taking a 2-0 lead against Belgium. However, the team conceded twice in the final five minutes of normal time before losing 3-2 after extra time, ending its World Cup campaign.
The Senegal Football Federation said the team’s performance at the tournament required a change on the bench, leading to Thiaw’s dismissal.
The former coach was also due to begin a five-match suspension in September during the opening matches of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The suspension followed events after January’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, where Thiaw led his players in a walk-off to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco during the match.
Although Senegal went on to defeat Morocco in the final and lift the continental title, the disciplinary action meant Thiaw would have been unavailable for the opening five qualifying matches for the 2027 tournament.
French newspaper L’Equipe has reported that former France international Patrick Vieira is among the leading candidates to replace Thiaw. Vieira, a FIFA World Cup winner with France, was born in Dakar, Senegal.
The Senegal Football Federation has scheduled a press conference for Monday, where it is expected to provide further details regarding the coaching change and the team’s plans going forward.
