​Senegal have dismissed manager Pape Thiaw in the wake of their exit at the last-32 stage of the 2026 World Cup. The Teranga Lions, who had Thiaw at the helm since December 2024, were defeated by France and Norway in their opening two group games. They then beat Iraq 5-0 to advance to the knockout rounds, securing the final spot among the best third-placed teams. In the last-32, Senegal led Belgium 2-0 but conceded two late goals and a stoppage-time penalty in extra time, ultimately losing 3-2 in dramatic fashion.
After the defeat, midfielder Pape Gueye said he would be taking a break from representing Senegal while the current management remained in charge. The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) stated that, following a thorough evaluation of the national team’s sporting results and prospects, Thiaw had been dismissed in the best interests of Senegalese football.
This season has seen Senegal experience a turn of misfortune. They entered the 2026 World Cup after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over Caf’s decision to strip them of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, a decision that had again put Thiaw in the crosshairs of controversy. Thiaw had been a central figure during the Afcon final in January, when he prompted a stoppage by leading his team off the field as Morocco were awarded a late penalty. After a lengthy delay of roughly 17 minutes, the players returned, Brahim Díaz’s spot-kick was saved, and Gueye struck in extra time. Yet Caf later overturned the result, declaring Morocco the tournament winners in March and leaving Senegal to pursue other avenues.
Senegal have lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to reclaim the title. As the World Cup concludes, the football season continues to unfold, with BBC Sport continuing extensive coverage of the World Cup 2026 knockout route and guidance on how to follow the tournament on BBC and ITV for wider accessibility and reach.