Senegal has made the decision to part ways with coach Aliou Cisse, who successfully guided them to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 and the last two World Cup tournaments.
The move was initiated by Senegal’s sports minister Khady Diene Gaye, as per the local football association, following a government directive not to extend Cisse’s contract. Cisse, a former national team captain and player for Paris Saint-Germain, assumed the coaching role in 2015 and led Senegal to their first AFCON title in 2020.
Although Senegal made it to the round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, they were eliminated at the same stage in this year’s AFCON by the eventual champions, Ivory Coast. The Senegalese Football Association announced that an interim coaching staff will take over for the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Malawi.
Senegal is currently tied with Burkina Faso with four points from two games in a group that also includes Burundi. Additionally, they remain undefeated in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers but are trailing group leaders Sudan by two points after four matches.