Senegal Coach Aliou Cissé Sacked Following Government Request
Aliou Cissé, the Senegalese coach who led the team to an Africa Cup of Nations title and the past two World Cup tournaments, has been fired by the national soccer federation. The federation cited a government request not to renew his contract, which was due to expire in a year. The decision comes after the team failed to retain its African title this year, with Cissé’s team being eliminated in the round of 16 by host Ivory Coast.
In a letter published by the Senegalese soccer body, the government sports ministry listed several reasons for not renewing Cissé’s contract, including not reaching recent tournament objectives, the team’s falling FIFA ranking, and the risk of worsening relations between the team and the Senegalese public. However, it remains unclear if the ministry’s request conflicted with FIFA rules prohibiting government interference in the independent management of its member federations.
Cissé, a former Paris Saint-Germain defender, had been in charge of the Teranga Lions for nearly 10 years, during which time he guided the team to two AFCON finals, including the title in 2022, and the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup. Senegal went to the tournament in Qatar without star forward Sadio Mané, who was injured.
The federation has announced that it will appoint an interim coaching team for the next games, including the team’s upcoming qualifying matches for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Senegal is currently unbeaten in its qualifying group, with home and away games against Malawi this month.
The team also remains unbeaten in its 2026 World Cup qualifying group, although it trails leader Sudan by two points after four of the 10 rounds. Senegal resumes play in March away to Sudan.
Sources: AP
