Pape Thiaw fired as Senegal coach after disappointing FIFA World Cup

Senegal ‌fired football coach Pape Thiaw on ⁠Saturday, ⁠saying the national team’s results at the World Cup necessitated a change at the ⁠helm.

Senegal had hoped to be contenders at the World ⁠Cup, after beating Morocco in January’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, but had a disappointing tournament in which they lost their ‌opening two group games to France and Norway and let slip a 2-0 lead with five minutes remaining against Belgium in the last 32 before going down 3-2 in extra time.

Thiaw, 45, ⁠was due to begin ⁠a five-match ban in September at the start of the 2027 Cup of Nations qualifiers because he ⁠led a walk-off of players in protest of a ⁠penalty that Morocco were awarded ⁠in the 2025 final in Rabat.

French daily L’Equipe reported that Patrick Vieira, a French World Cup winner who ‌was born in Dakar, was among the favourites to take over.