Senegal Football Federation Dismisses Head Coach Pape Thiaw
Nearly two weeks after the conclusion of Senegal’s World Cup campaign, the national football federation is parting ways with head coach Pape Thiaw.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) announced that it fired both Thiaw and his entire technical staff following a meeting on Saturday. Thiaw took charge of the Senegalese national team in 2024, following his success leading a squad to victory in the 2022 African Nations Championship.
“After a thorough evaluation of the sporting results and prospects of the national team, the Executive Committee deemed it necessary to initiate this procedure in the best interests of Senegalese football,” the statement noted.
The federation has granted FSF president Abdoulaye Fall the authority to reorganize the national teams as needed. Officials will discuss the decision further during a press conference scheduled for Monday.
Despite entering the World Cup as one of the highest-ranked African nations, Senegal struggled to make a significant impact during the tournament. The Lions of Teranga finished third in their group after a 3-1 loss to France and an unsuccessful comeback attempt against Norway.
However, the team managed to reach the knockout round thanks to a 5-0 victory over Iraq, securing the eighth and final spot reserved for third-place finishers.
The Lions of Teranga ultimately fell to Belgium in the Round of 32, despite a promising performance. Senegal dominated the first half and held an early 1-0 lead, which they extended early in the second half. Belgium erased the deficit in a chaotic three-minute span, scoring in the 86th and 89th minutes to force extra time. A late penalty during the extra period secured the victory for Belgium.
Following the match, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia suggested that Senegal “deserved to win.” Thiaw offered a more direct assessment, admitting that his side “fell short.”
“A football match is not an 85-minute one. Belgium came back and we were not able to deal with that,” Thiaw said.