Senegal’s football authorities have decided to part ways with coach Aliou Cisse, who famously led the national team to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations victory in 2022.
Cisse, 48, also coached Senegal at the last two FIFA World Cup tournaments.
According to the Senegalese Football Federation, the decision to not renew Cisse’s contract was initiated by the country’s sports minister, Khady Diene Gaye. Cisse had been in charge since 2015, bringing much success to Senegalese football, including their historic AFCON win two years ago.
Despite these achievements, the team’s performance in the recent tournaments played a role in the decision. Senegal reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup but were eliminated early in this year’s AFCON by Ivory Coast, who went on to become champions.
In a statement, the Senegalese Football Federation announced, “An interim coaching team will lead the national team for the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Malawi this month.”
Senegal is currently level with Burkina Faso on four points in their AFCON qualifying group, which also includes Burundi. They remain unbeaten in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers but are two points behind Sudan, who leads the group.
Aliou Cisse, a former captain of the Senegal national team and ex-Paris Saint-Germain player, has been a beloved figure in Senegalese football. His departure marks the end of a significant chapter in the nation’s football history.
