Senegal sacked national football coach Pape Thiaw and his technical staff on July 12, 2026, less than two weeks after the team was eliminated from the World Cup by Belgium in the round of 32. [1, 2, 3]
Senegal lost to Belgium 3-2 in extra time on July 1 after leading until the 85th minute. [1, 2, 3] Belgian coach Rudi Garcia said after the match that Senegal deserved to win. [2, 3] Thiaw defended the team's performance, stating the game was not over at 85 minutes and Belgium mounted a strong comeback. [2]
Earlier in the tournament group stage, Senegal lost 3-1 to France and 3-2 to Norway before beating Iraq 5-0 to advance. [1, 2, 3] The World Cup followed a controversial Africa Cup of Nations campaign in January 2026, when Thiaw led Senegal to the final but the team was later stripped of the title due to misconduct during the final against Morocco. [1]
Federation president Abdoulaye Fall revealed at a July 13 press conference that coach Thiaw had demanded a salary increase before the World Cup, initially asking to raise his monthly pay from 20 million CFA francs to 50 million, later settling on 30 million during the tournament. [1] Fall said there had been a "breakdown in trust" and that Thiaw believed "federation officials were his enemies, and this impacted the national team's operations." [1] Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had to intervene on the day the team departed for the US to convince Thiaw not to boycott the tournament over salary disputes. [1]
Fall also criticized the team's medical support, saying the doctor was trained as a gynecologist and lacked appropriate credentials, which caused players concern about medical care quality during the World Cup. [1]
The Senegalese federation said the coaching change and team reorganization were made for the "best interests of Senegalese football." [2, 3]
Thiaw originally took over as Senegal coach in 2024. [1, 2, 3] On June 22, 2026, just before Senegal's second World Cup group game against Norway, he signed a new contract after initially refusing to sit on the bench. [1]
The federation's decision to dismiss Thiaw and technical staff completes a rapid post-World Cup reshuffle aimed at resetting the team after the disappointing exit and internal conflicts. [1, 2, 3]
