The Senegalese Football Federation has begun formal proceedings to remove Pape Thiaw as national team coach following the Lions of Teranga’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup.

According to the federation’s official statement, the decision was taken at an executive committee meeting on Saturday, July 11, and announced the following day. The process also covers Thiaw’s entire technical staff.

The federation’s press conference on Monday did not announce the dismissal, as initially reported. It was called to explain the decision and address the future direction of the national team.

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Senegal’s World Cup campaign had already been uneven before the knockout stage.

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Defeats by France and Norway left Thiaw’s side under severe pressure, although a 5-0 victory over Iraq secured qualification as one of the best third-placed teams.

Senegal then appeared to be heading for the Round of 16 after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr gave them a 2-0 lead over Belgium. That advantage remained intact until the 86th minute.

Romelu Lukaku pulled one back before Youri Tielemans equalised three minutes later, forcing the match into extra time.

The decisive incident was described by Sky Sports as controversial. A seven-minute VAR review resulted in Belgium being awarded a penalty for Lamine Camara’s challenge on Tielemans.

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Tielemans converted in the 125th minute to complete Belgium’s 3-2 comeback. Speaking on ITV, Gary Neville questioned the decision.

“I genuinely don’t believe that’s a penalty,” he said.

Contract dispute exposed a deeper rift

The manner of the defeat intensified the pressure on Thiaw, but the federation’s subsequent explanation made clear that the World Cup results were only part of the problem.

At Monday’s press conference, covered by FRANCE 24 English, federation president Abdoulaye Fall outlined a breakdown in the relationship between Thiaw and the national team’s leadership.

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Quoted by AFP in the Times of Malta, Fall said:

“There was a breakdown in trust between Pape Thiaw and us.”

Fall said Thiaw had sought to increase his monthly salary from 20 million CFA francs to 50 million before the tournament. He also alleged that the coach had threatened not to travel to the United States unless his contractual position was resolved.

According to Fall, the dispute continued during the tournament, with Thiaw initially refusing to take his place on the bench for the group match against Norway until an agreement had been finalised.

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There was, however, another side to the dispute. Osasu Obayiuwana reported for The Guardian during the World Cup that Thiaw had been without an employment contract since February and was owed five months in unpaid wages.

Thiaw maintained at the time that the disagreement concerned principle and respect rather than money. The episode therefore reflected a wider governance dispute, rather than simply a coach making increased salary demands.

Senegal opt for a full reset

Thiaw had taken permanent charge in December 2024 after initially serving as interim coach following Aliou Cissé’s departure.

His tenure included an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign and another appearance in the knockout rounds. However, Senegal ultimately lost three of their four matches at the tournament, while the disputes surrounding contracts, bonuses and team management created an increasingly unstable environment.

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The federation said its decision followed a full assessment of the team’s sporting results and future prospects. President Abdoulaye Fall has also been instructed to oversee a broader reorganisation of Senegal’s national-team structure.

No successor was named in the federation’s announcement. The next coach will be expected to restore stability before the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and begin building towards the 2030 World Cup.