Senegal sack head coach Pape Thiaw after shock 2026 FIFA World Cup exit

Senegal have parted ways with head coach Pape Thiaw following the Teranga Lions' disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Thiaw's tenure came to an abrupt end after Senegal suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 32.

The West Africans appeared to be cruising into the next stage after establishing a 2-0 advantage, only to concede three late goals in a remarkable collapse during the closing stages of the match.

The defeat sparked widespread criticism and reportedly contributed to midfielder Pape Gueye's decision to retire from international football following a reported disagreement with the outgoing coach.

According to French outlet L'Equipe, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) confirmed Thiaw's dismissal in a statement issued on Sunday, July 12, following a meeting of its Executive Committee.

The federation announced that it had decided to begin the process of terminating the contracts of Thiaw and his entire technical staff as part of a restructuring of the national team setup.

“Following the meeting of the Executive Committee (of the FSF), it was decided to initiate a procedure to terminate the functions of national coach Pape Thiaw as well as the entire technical staff,” a section of the release stated.

The decision marks the end of Thiaw's spell in charge as Senegal look to rebuild after falling short of expectations at the World Cup.

Meanwhile, former Patrick Vieira has emerged as the leading candidate to take over the Teranga Lions.

The former Crystal Palace and Genoa manager is reportedly being considered to guide Senegal into the next phase of its international football project.