rewrite this title Senegal sack manager Pape Thiaw following dramatic World Cup exit and player mutiny

Senegal have parted ways with manager Pape Thiaw after they were knocked out in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

The Teranga Lions endured a turbulent tournament in North America. After suffering consecutive defeats to France and Norway in their opening two group fixtures, they managed to salvage their campaign by thrashing Iraq 5-0. That heavy victory allowed them to secure the final spot available for the best-placed third-placed teams.

However, their journey came to a heartbreaking end against Belgium. Senegal had established a commanding 2-0 lead before capitulating late on, conceding two late goals and a definitive extra-time penalty to lose 3-2.

FSF act swiftly amid player revolt

The fallout from the exit was instantaneous. Midfielder Pape Gueye publicly revolted following the final whistle, stating he would be “taking a break” from international duty while the current coaching staff remained in place.

The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) acted quickly to clear the air, releasing an official statement to confirm Thiaw’s dismissal:

“After a thorough evaluation of the sporting results and prospects of the national team” it said it had dismissed Thiaw “in the best interests of Senegalese football”.

Reliving the AFCON “walk-off” controversy

Thiaw, who has been at the helm since December 2024, was already a deeply controversial figure leading into the tournament. Senegal arrived at the World Cup in the middle of a massive legal battle with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

CAF had recently stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title due to a chaotic incident in January’s final against Morocco, where Thiaw was the main protagonist. Enraged by a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco, Thiaw ushered his entire team off the pitch in protest.

While the squad eventually returned after a 17-minute delay – leading to a saved penalty and an extra-time winner from Gueye – CAF subsequently overturned the result in March due to the walk-off, declaring Morocco the official winners. Senegal have since lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an attempt to claw back the title.

With Thiaw now gone and the squad in transition, the FSF will look to rebuild quickly ahead of their upcoming competitive cycle.