Senegal have parted ways with head coach Pape Thiaw following the Teranga Lions’ exit at the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, www.aclsports.com reports.
The Teranga Lions, who had been managed by Thiaw since December 2024, were beaten by France and Norway in their opening two group games. The West Africans thrashed Iraq 5-0 to qualify for the knockout stages by taking the final spot of the best-placed teams to finish third in their group.
In the round of 32 clash against Belgium, Senegal led 2-0 but conceded two late goals and a penalty in extra time as they were dramatically beaten 3-2.
Many did not take that result well, including midfielder Pape Gueye, who said he would be “taking a break” from playing for Senegal while the current management remained in charge.
The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) said, externally, that “after a thorough evaluation of the sporting results and prospects of the national team,” it had dismissed Thiaw “in the best interests of Senegalese football”.
Senegal had come into the 2026 World Cup after appealing against a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip them of the 2025 AFCON title following a controversy in which Thiaw had been a main protagonist. He is due to start a five-match ban this September for his conduct in that final.
However, CAF awarded Morocco the title in March after overturning the final result. Senegal have since appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to reclaim the title.
