Pape Thiaw fired as Senegal coach after disappointing FIFA World Cup

Senegal fired coach Pape Thiaw on Saturday following a disappointing FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign. The team lost their first two group matches to France and Norway, and were eliminated in the round of 32 by Belgium, blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 in extra time. Thiaw was set to serve a five-match ban starting in September for leading a player walk-off in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco in the 2025 AFCON final. French World Cup winner Patrick Vieira, born in Dakar, is reported to be the leading candidate to replace him.