Senegal may keep Pape Thiaw as coach after government refuses to fund contract termination

Pape Thiaw's departure seemed a done deal, and Patrick Vieira was getting closer to the Senegal bench. But the State's refusal to finance the termination of the coach's contract could change everything.

By Valentin Feuillette & El-Hadji Loum

07/29 - 12:45 | 4 min.

The fiasco of Senegal during the 2026 World Cup was supposed to mark the end of a cycle. Eliminated in the Round of 16 after an incredible comeback suffered against Belgium—while the Lions of Teranga were still leading by two goals just minutes from the end—Pape Thiaw's men left the United States under a barrage of criticism.

The sporting results, however, represented only a very small part of the problem. Upon the delegation's return, revelations about the behind-the-scenes of the World Cup piled up, with accusations regarding:

• Internal organization
• Preparation conditions
• Financial management of the competition
• Several incidents within the group

Faced with the scale of the controversy, the Senegalese Football Federation chose to publicly defend its operations while announcing legal proceedings against the authors of certain accusations. At the same time, Abdoulaye Saydou Sow, Secretary General of the FSF, acknowledged the sporting failure of the national team and confirmed the opening of a procedure aimed at terminating Pape Thiaw's duties, estimating that the objectives set before the tournament had not been achieved despite the squad's potential.

This decision then seemed to definitively pave the way for a change of coach. A few days later, we exclusively revealed that Patrick Vieira had become the priority for Senegalese officials to start a new cycle.

Born in Dakar, free since his departure from Genoa, and with solid experience on the benches of New York City, Nice, Crystal Palace, and Strasbourg, the former Arsenal captain appeared as the favorite to succeed Pape Thiaw. Positive discussions had been initiated with his entourage, while the Hervé Renard track had also been studied without becoming a priority.

The only obstacle identified concerned the contractual situation of the current coach, whose departure still needed to be validated administratively with the Ministry of Sports. Everything suggested that this step was merely a formality before a quick officialization of Patrick Vieira, with the Federation showing its desire to definitively turn the page after the World Cup.

The Senegalese Government Refuses to Pay

But a spectacular twist has completely reshuffled the cards. According to information from Sud Quotidien, the State of Senegal now refuses to cover Pape Thiaw's emoluments.

In a letter addressed to the Senegalese Football Federation, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Djireye Clotilde Coly, explains that the contract signed on June 22, 2026 in New Jersey never received official approval from the State, which is the third-party payer in this matter. While the minister acknowledges the FSF's desire to continue its collaboration with the coach at the time of signing, she specifies that the State services are not in a position to ensure payment of the salary provided for in this contract.

This decision now places the Federation in a particularly delicate situation, as the agreement concluded with Pape Thiaw provides for very significant financial conditions:

• Monthly salary: 30 million FCFA (nearly €46,000)
• Signing bonus: 120 million FCFA